Home
by AddriannaDestiny
Summary: Niklaus Mikaelson is the leader of the best team in the US Marine Corps, The Wolves. Deployed to another dangerous long tour and with death constantly hovering over him and his men, he finds comfort and strength in the memories of those he left back home. AU/AH
1. Pilot

Jeremy looked around a bit lost, he clutched his gear.  
"Wait here Gilbert." The chopper military said and left.

Jeremy looked around the place he hopped to spend the next two years, if everything went well and he didn't end up dead. It was busy around him and it would take a long time to get used to all the commotion, he knew he had a long way ahead of him but he was excited to meet his new unit. Especially the man who was leading it, the reason Jeremy had volunteered.

A heavy Humvee arrived and Jeremy dropped his things on the ground roughly, he straightened his back, placed his hands there and set his legs apart, he stood there waiting for orders and to greet the new team.

Two men stepped out of the vehicle talking easily and then someone else after them but Jeremy was only looking for _him_.  
The tall broad blonde man came out of the vehicle slowly, he was going through some papers and Jeremy couldn't help the fascination look.

He was in the presence of a true legend, Lieutenant Niklaus Mikaelson. His elite team was the most famous in the US Marine corps, it was a dream come true to get into his unit but he hand-picked his men and through his seven tours he only lost two so far.  
Jeremy was set on getting that open spot on _The_ _Wolves_, as they were known.

The small group of men walked by Jeremy and looked at each other.  
"Day of fresh meat." a dark-haired man said.

A blonde one laughed. "This one looks like he won't last a week."  
"Are you betting that pack of cigars you keep by your rack Donovan?"

"Sure… how long do you think he makes it before begging the Lt. to send him back to his desk and computer?"  
Jeremy frowned, how could they know his former duties?

"I say he lasts two weeks." The dark-haired said.  
The blonde one laughed and nodded reaching a bet that pleased both. "If you lose you are in charge of washing the Humvee for a week."

"How did we go from a bet on cigars to that?" the other marine was appalled.  
"Because you can't make a bet to save your life Damon." another blonde man laughed.

The dark-haired man grumbled. "Thanks a lot Stef."  
There was an easy laughter and banter as they all walked away, Jeremy could tell they were close, typical of who learns to trust their life in the soldier standing next to them.

He turned his attention to the man who stopped in front of him but kept his eyes on the papers in his hands. "What's your name soldier?"  
Jeremy gulped down nervous; this was like meeting the huge rock star that you hear every day in your room. "Jeremy Gilbert." he said as serious as he could.

"Why have you requested to be part of my team?" His voice was low, deep, with an accent Jeremy couldn't place but he read somewhere his family had been travelling around the world since his father had been a Lifer as well. A military career man who was known to run his family like a tight unit.

"You are a living legend Lieutenant and I went through a lot to be standing here now before you."  
The man looked up at him and scanned the boy with his deep blue eyes. "Why have you requested to be part of my team?" he asked him again but with a stare locked on his.

Jeremy pressed his lips hesitant but he had nothing to lose. "You are the best and I want to learn all that I can from you and The Wolves."  
Klaus was happy with the answer and smiled. "Don't ever give me a second answer to a question I ask Gilbert, there is no margin for errors in my unit. That's why all of us get to go home and enjoy the family when our duty is done."

Jeremy nodded. "OOH RAH."  
"You are on trial until I sent you home or until you ask to be sent home."

"I will make it into The Wolves." Jeremy was determined.  
Klaus smiled amused with the determination in his new soldier. "So we shall see Gilbert but first get your gear off the ground, a marine does not wear dirt as a shield unless they are Cammies."

Jeremy nodded serious.  
"As you were private." Klaus said walking away.

Jeremy waited until his superior left, he smiled barely keeping his enthusiasm. He grabbed his stuff and made his way to the tent where everyone else was. He found an empty mattress and assumed that was his new home, he dropped a sketching pad on the way that a blonde guy picked up.  
Jeremy recognized him as one of the betting men from earlier.

"Do you draw? The Lt. does…" he said handing the pad back to the kid.  
Jeremy smiled. "I scribble around."

"Matt Donovan." he said with a smile.  
Jeremy joined his smile. "Jeremy Gilbert."

Matt pointed at the two men behind him. "The dashing one is Damon Salvatore and the blonde one shaping his hair is Stefan, his younger brother."  
Damon came near them and inspected the kid. "No way in hell I'm going out there into the desert in a dark night having this one guarding my back."

Jeremy wasn't too happy but he expected the resistance.  
"Stop being mean." a female voice echoed inside the room and Jeremy frowned. Then he was almost blushing as the stunning woman came near the guys, she casually removed her jacket exposing the white shirt that looked too well on her.

"I'm Kat." she easily said and reached out her hand.  
"I didn't know… there was a WM in this unit." Jeremy said slowly processing the facts presented before him.

The girl retracted her hand upset. "That's Sergeant Katherine Pierce to you _private._"  
Jeremy got on point and saluted her. "I'm sorry Ma'am."

Katherine turned on her army boots and went to her rank, she smiled at Stefan. He shook his head, how could a creature so beautiful be so scary when she wanted?

"Be careful of that one _Jarhead_, she knows at least 50 different ways to kill you."  
"It's Jeremy…" he mumbled but Damon had found his new name.

* * *

"Did everything go smoothly?"  
"Like always." Klaus answered the man standing near a desk invested in a map.

"That makes seventeen terror suspects detained since we've been here and several weapon cache. And we are just getting started." he wandered his eyes through all the known marked locations The Wolves were taking down.

"Lieutenant Colonel Elijah Mikaelson, try not to drool so much. I know that you want to make it to General but I'd like to make it alive to see my girls at least one more time."  
Elijah smiled and stepped away from the map. "You will brother."

Klaus tried to smile but he was having one of those days. "Why have you sent me a child that can barely hold his Deuce? I can smell the milk a mile away."  
"The _child_ got training and his marks were off the chart… besides he really wanted this and you needed a good computer wizard on the field."

Klaus sat with a sigh, he rubbed the back of his neck. "I trust your judgment brother but I don't have time to train him properly and I can't afford anyone to slow us down on this operation."  
"And that is why you are so good at what you do Nik." Elijah said and handed him a file with his new orders.

"Sweet talking won't get you out of this hassle, when we are back home I will still punch you in the face like the good brother that I am."  
Elijah laughed loudly. "Niklaus we both know that you enjoy this as much as I do."

Klaus chuckled. "Unlike you I don't want to reach that chair in the Pentagon."  
"I will remind you of this talk when I do get that chair."

The moment was filled with easiness, Klaus had a group of men ready to kill and die for him, that would follow him to hell if they had to, without so much as asking why but Klaus would follow Elijah anywhere as well.

* * *

Katherine finished cleaning her gun, she assembled it back together making sure it was working perfectly and aimed at Stefan, she smiled mischievously as she kept him under her aim. He could sense what she was doing but he didn't look up to her, he kept writing in his diary.  
A habit he kept and that everyone respected enough to never question, everyone dealt with their inner fights in their own way.

Katherine watched Stefan, the tight white shirt left little to her vivid imagination and she allowed it all to go on a sweet dream, wondering how it would feel to run her fingertips through his really defined abs and pull those tags close to her. She became serious and put her gun away when Klaus came inside the barracks.

Katherine and Stefan had been playing a dangerous flirt game for months now but both never took anything further afraid Klaus would cut them off The Wolves. He was strict and had set the rules before he took Katherine into the team, she was forbidden to have anything personal and romantic with anyone inside the team, he couldn't allow any sort of weakness that could jeopardize the entire team.

"What are our orders Lt?" Matt asked playing with his knife.  
"Eat and then sleep, we go back out there in four hours." he walked to his rank on the far end of the tent.

Everyone stood up getting ready.  
Jeremy came near him. "Do I go as well?"

Klaus looked at him and simply nodded, he was stuck with the kid anyway. "Try not to get killed on your first mission."  
Jeremy was convicted of his abilities. "I will make you proud."

Damon laughed from his corner getting dressed after a shower. "Someone has a not so little crush on our Lt."  
Klaus looked at Jeremy and smiled. "I'm sorry to inform you soldier but I'm already a brown bagger."

All the others laughed but Jeremy was confused. "I knew that already… I read the article about your wedding."  
Klaus laughed, this was getting better by the minute, they sent him a _fan_, disguised as a jarhead. "Just get him out of here." he said tired.

Stefan stepped in front of Jeremy. "I believe you have your orders private."  
Jeremy nodded. "Yes 1st Sergeant."

Stefan waited until they were alone and came to Klaus, he sat on the bed next to him. "Are you ok Nik?"  
Klaus smiled without looking at his old friend. "It's Caroline's birthday tomorrow."

Stefan stood up and padded Klaus' shoulder. "I'll leave you alone."  
Klaus was thankful for it and reached inside one of his pockets, he took that picture he cherished above all things when he was away from home. He slowly touched the face of the beautiful woman with the perfect cascade golden locks and a smile that made him ache.  
There was a smile on his lips as he touched their baby girl in her mother's arms.

Scarlett was just like her mother, only five months old and already so beautiful, she had Caroline's eyes but Rebekah said she had his dimples. Klaus couldn't wait to return home and hold both of his girls in his arms again. He rested the picture over his heart and closed his eyes, his mind flew to the first time he met Caroline and he fell asleep remembering the day that changed his life.

* * *

**The first time we met**

"Kol relax… I know how to drive a car." Klaus spoke annoyed into the speaker inside Kol's fancy new car.  
_"What are you talking about? You only drive bikes."_

Klaus shook his head. "But I am capable of driving a car."  
_"You are going to crash my car… I just know it."_

"A little faith would be nice..." Klaus turned left.  
_"I have a girl to impress, I have been after her for months now so please try not to ruin my chances of finding true love."_

"True love... you are the family and town's playboy..." Klaus rolled his eyes.  
_"Do I listen to envy in your __voice? I understand though... all that time spent in war has shifted your priorities... well for the rest of us in the family that decided to do something else with our lives... having sex is good, it's not a sin."_

"I'm sure that's what Adam told Eve..." Klaus smirked.  
_"Wise words Nik... wise words... wait I have Bekah on the line."_

Klaus checked the time, he was running late. His cell told him he had Rebekah on the line and he accepted her call.

_"Why is Kol going all biblical on me?"  
_Klaus laughed. "He is trying to justify his ways."

_"Not even God can explain why our brother is a manwhore but... I am calling to ask you why you haven't put in a good word with your friend Damon."  
_Klaus sighed annoyed. "Because he is sleeping with the other half of the women that manage to get away from Kol."

There was a loud sigh from Rebekah. _"But he is so hot..."  
_"All right, I'm hanging up now because I don't want to think of Damon and my baby sister."

Rebekah laughed. _"Stop being so protective... I'm not a virgin anymore in case you still had hopes."  
_"Send me the name of the boy so I can track him down and shoot him."

She laughed. _"Silly... I'm going to end this conversation with the other brother that actually enjoys sex."  
_Klaus smiled and pushed that red button to end the call, he wasn't going anywhere with his younger siblings and he was really late to pick the Salvatores at the airport. In fact that was the only reason why he was borrowing Kol's shiny car, Klaus indeed was too attached to his powerful black Kawasaki Ninja and he already missed it too much.

He came to halt at the red sign and was checking his messages when a loud shriek came from behind the car, he noticed someone trying to stop but it was too late. The impact was less than he expected but still, someone just hit Kol's car.

"You have got to be kidding me…" Klaus leaned back his head upset against his seat.  
Then he tried to tame his ongoing rage for such a moron and stepped outside the car mad, he was ready to yell and maybe even swing a few punches when he noticed the tall blonde woman clutching her cell and freaking out.

"Oh… my… God…" she said moving away from her opened door and coming closer to the car, she bent down so she could see the real damage between the cars.  
Klaus tilted his head amused at the sight; she was wearing really tight black Jeans and high knee boots over them, a pink loose shirt graced her upper body, her current movement made him happy that she just hit his brother's car.

She shook her head and her loose curls moved in a mesmerizing way, cascading perfectly over her shoulders, he smiled waiting for her to turn and face him, knowing that she would be as breathtaking as he expected.  
She was even more; he found it hard to remember meeting someone prettier than her.

"I don't know what happened… I was late for a meeting and then my stupid cell started ringing and you were there out of nowhere running into me..." she spoke nervously and very fast.  
Klaus smiled. "I was… parked and you ran into _m__e._" he frowned to prove his point.

"Ermmm…." Caroline couldn't do better than a strange sound, she looked a bit dazed.  
"Are you all right? Did you hit your head?" He asked worried, maybe the girl had hurt herself.

"No…" she whispered and then laughed nervously. She covered her mouth and blushed shaking her head to stop it and Klaus raised his eyebrows, he was kind of used to have some sort of reaction on women but not like this.

"All right…" he said eyeing her. She was scanning his face and her eyes were coming down to his chest, he could tell her immediate reaction to her findings. His necklace with the tags was probably on display over his grey shirt, usually people would give him a sad look because of all the ones being sent oversea in this time of war but she smiled warmly at him, it was strange that she was giving him an innocent look; yet, he could tell she was undressing him in her mind.

"My father was a military..." she said slowly.  
"Was?" Klaus said knowing how hard it was to lose someone.

Her face took a turn to sadness and he hated it, she had a great warm smile that should be on her features always. She shook her head immediately giving rest to this matter that she would not discuss with a total stranger. "We should call the police."

He nodded impressed and clasped his lips, she was straight to business now, definitely a woman who knew what she wanted. He was defiantly interested. "No need love." he said warmly.

She gave him a dubious look. "Is the car stolen?"  
It made Klaus laugh and she was serious watching him, he could see her gulping down. "No sweetheart, it belongs to my brother but I will deal with him."

"Then… how do we… settle this?" She was truly confused.  
Klaus reached for her hand and took her phone, she protested but he was swift dialing his number. He smiled when it rang inside the car and handed her cell back. "I will call you later to know at what time you wish for me to pick you up."

"Call? Pick… me… wh… what?" she asked between stuttering.  
"You can pay the car damage back by going on a date with me." he answered easily.

"A date? I don't even know your name. For all I know you are just some really attractive serial killer with a hot accent." she raised her hand in the air with an attitude.  
Klaus chuckled. "I'm Niklaus Mikaelson, Lieutenant in the US Marine Corps but you can call me Nik, sweetheart."

She closed her eyes for a second processing the information and raised her finger in the air but he was by his door already.  
"What name should I add to the number on my cellphone?" he asked turning back for a second.

"Caroline… but… wait…" she said only that Klaus was used to seize the moment any chance he got.  
He stepped inside the car and dialed the number, he watched her from the review mirror amused.

She pressed a button and tilted her head in such an adorable way. "Yes?"  
"Do you fancy Chinese? I know the best restaurant in town…"

She threw her hands in the air. "Why not? This is insane but whose keeping track?"  
"Fantastic, that's the spirit love, now I should tell you right away that I will be driving my beloved bike so a dress will be kind of… tricky."

She laughed loudly standing in the middle of the road, it made him smile watching her. She touched her forehead. "I must be out of my frigging mind but whatever... I'll be wearing my soon to be killed by a sadist serial killer biker pants."  
It was his turn to laugh and he started the car. "I have to get going, I'm late to pick some friends but I look forward to our date tonight. I'll call you later Caroline." he said ending the call naturally.

He added a name to go with the number and smiled happy, he liked seeing the name Caroline on his screen. "OOH RAH." he said with a smile that revealed his dimples and drove away.

* * *

**Soundtrack:  
**

First time - Lifehouse


	2. Jarhead

**Our first date **

"You weren't kidding about the bike?" Caroline asked eyeing Klaus as he leaned against his shiny black bike.

"No but you were about the biker pants" he said amused watching the woman in skinny Jeans and a long purple tunic.

She gave him a smile "Just so you know, I told everyone I knew that I was going on a date with a total stranger… in case anything happens to me, my best friend has your detailed description"  
"I'm flattered that you remembered enough details to tell her"

"Hummm" Caroline said annoyed with his cheeky ways and sank the high heel from her boot down on the ground.  
Klaus smiled watching her, her hair was loosely tugged behind her ear and she wasn't wearing too much makeup with left her features natural and what a natural beauty that was.

He had his share of girlfriends and semi serious relationships but Caroline was on a whole different new league.

"I'm not really comfortable riding a bike with you… I literally don't know anything about you to go and wrap my arms around you while you drive a death machine"

The line made Klaus laugh but he nodded understanding "Perhaps we can walk a little before our dinner date?"  
Caroline pressed her cell a bit nervous but nodded.

He smiled pointing to the park near them, he could see her mind working and came near her "I promise I'm not a serial killer and I won't touch you all night"

"Well that's a first… a man who doesn't want to grope and kiss me on the first date…" she said with a suspicious expression.

"You mentioned your father being a military, then you know that one of the first things we learn is to respect a woman"  
"More or less" she smiled giving in that bit he needed.

They started walking and she gave him an honest smirk "Aren't you worried they steal your precious Ninja?"  
Klaus was highly amused that she knew about bikes "I know half the police, my older brother Finn is a Captain in the 10th precinct"

"So if you killed me and needed help to hide the body…" she gave him a side look.  
"You have a fixation with this" Klaus was starting to get worried.

She eased up and placed her hands inside her pockets "I'm a writer… so expect a very vivid imagination"

"Wow" Klaus was truly impressed.

"I'm not famous or anything… I just struggle to put all that is up here…" she touched the side of her head and then smiled "… on paper"  
Klaus was really liking this girl, there was so much more to her than just her exquisite beauty.

He pointed at a coffee place "Is that safe enough for you? It has a lot of people inside"  
She laughed and he loved how soft it was and how sweet she looked when she was relaxed.

The next hour went by in a hurry, they talked about families and her books, Klaus spoke about his life always careful not to say too much about what he really did and where he had been.

They were a new Unit and very secretive so far, it was a huge responsibility to lead his own team and he knew Elijah had been pushing every right button to make this happen.

Klaus was happy, it was the one thing he was good at, being a soldier and he enjoyed the planning and executing of missions that others politely dodged but this new project, The Wolves was a true challenge and picking his best friend since the early recruit days, Stefan Salvatore and his rebel brother could work both ways, either it would grant them enough freedom to do what they wanted or get them all killed.

"So your older brother is a police officer, your other brother is in the Corps as well and so was your father?" Caroline was trying to connect all dots.  
"Yes" Klaus said playing with his coffee cup lazily.

"Big family… and your sister? Is she choosing the same path as all of you?"  
Klaus laughed "Rebekah is into fashion and all that glitter..."

Caroline smiled hugely at him and her hair fell just the right way across her face, he had to see this woman again, so he decided to _forget _telling her that his younger brother did nothing in life but spend all the money the family had and sleep around with every woman who smiled at him.

"And it's just you and your mother?" he asked keeping his hand busy with the cup in front of him because he felt the urge to touch her face.

"Yes but she's back home… small town in Virginia and I live here with my best friend Bonnie. We've been friends since the awesome diaper stage"  
Klaus laughed, that was happening a lot around her and that was new to him.

The waitress cleaned their table and Caroline chewed on her naturally full red lip "I'm hungry… is the Chinese offer still standing?"  
Klaus felt his heart react to her sweet ways and question.

For Christ sake he scolded himself, he wasn't a teenager to get all excited over this.  
"Of course sweetheart" he said with a happy smile.

Caroline stepped outside the coffee shop and stroked her arms; it was getting cold now that the night was setting in.

He quickly removed his black leather jacket and placed it over her shoulders; she shook her head smiling and then released her hair from under it, letting it hang over her shoulders.  
"What is it love?" he asked her confused.

"You have dimples and are all gentleman ish… I'm not sure how much of a tough soldier you are"  
He laughed at her serious remark.

"Then I guess I should leave out the detail that I like to draw and that I'm quite good at it"  
She smiled but her eyes slowly searched his, she touched his leather jacket and they shared a long look in silence.

"I'm vibrating" she suddenly said.  
"Excuse me?" He asked confused.

She blushed and reached for the pocket in his jacket, removing the vibrating cell and handed it to him.  
Klaus was slightly disappointed that this was the cause but was even more disappointed when he saw the message in his screen.

**The wolves leave tonight  
**

"I need to go…" he said licking his lips upset.  
"You do?" her voice was soft not surprised or mad, he even noticed the slight hint of sadness in it.

"Yes, I have this new team that was handed to me, well I chose them but it's all still a secret and we just been called and we need to leave tonight and I don't know how long I will be away"  
Caroline smiled touching her hair "I'm pretty sure you weren't allowed to tell me that Nik..."

He closed his eyes, of course he wasn't, he never went around talking about his assignments and obligations, what the hell was wrong with him?

"I'm sorry Caroline… that I have to leave like this. I wish things had been different" he knew he wouldn't have another chance, he would probably never see this amazing girl again.

She gave him a sweet smile and took his jacket off "My father was in the army and when he went away he always asked me to give him a reason to come back home. I was too little to understand any of it but I always asked him to come back for me like that was a big reason"

Klaus took the leather jacket unable to dare her next words.  
"You still owe me a dinner Nik"

But the words came and he smiled "A dinner?"  
She nodded and turned around to leave "Be safe out there Lt. Niklaus Mikaelson and call me when you get back, I'd love to have that dinner after all"

Klaus slowly smiled not fully processing all of it just yet, he pushed his hand through the sleeve of his jacket, letting her sweet scent mixed with the leather and his own involve him and got on his bike.

He easily straightened the bike and by the time he started it, the facts slowly became clearer inside his mind.  
He was smiling hugely when he speed away fast, getting lost among all the cars and busy traffic, he had a girl waiting for him back home, this was a first.

* * *

Klaus couldn't help this happy memory today, it was her birthday and he was away from her, another one that they spent apart.

These were the days that pained him the most because he knew how important they were for her.  
He checked the time again and looked at Stefan.

His second in command nodded and squeezed Jeremy's shoulder "What's taking so long?" he asked serious.

Jeremy's breathing was shallow; he was barely keeping it together.  
"I'm almost done" he said working frantically through the keys of his laptop.

They were inside an enemy layer, they took out the first resistance but they had very little time before the second wave came.  
Jeremy worked around the last password and smiled, he finally cracked it "It will only be a minute now" he said happy.

But Damon pressed his lips mad, he could see them coming from his binoculars "We don't have a minute" he said shredding the window in front of him and kneeling down, he rested his M16 on the edge of the window and closed his left eye and waited for his orders.

Klaus went to the door and nodded at Matt "I need you to buy us 40 seconds"  
"On it Lt." he said and rushed to a Jeep near them.

He drove it straight at two cars headed their way and pulled the plug on a grenade that he left inside the Jeep.  
Matt threw himself out of the car and rolled over covering his head.

The Jeep exploded as the grenade did and no one flinched but Jeremy.  
Bullets started flying and Klaus rested his lips against Jeremy's ear "You have 20 seconds or I will set this room on fire and leave you locked inside of it"

Jeremy pulled his eyebrows together "I thought we never left a man behind"  
Klaus smiled "I will come for your body later"

Jeremy gulped down and rushed the damn download with his worried eyes.  
Matt ran back to them dodging bullets, Katherine covered him by shooting at the cars approaching them fast.

"Lieutenant?" Damon hurried taking down the driver of the first car.  
"9" Klaus said sternly.

Jeremy felt his lips dry and looked at that little bar that just wouldn't turn full.  
"It's at 90%" he said feeling his palms getting covered in sweat.

"8" Klaus said easily but Jeremy knew how serious he was.  
Matt joined Katherine on the line of defense shooting but not wasting bullets, every shot was a deadly one.

Damon slender his eye and squeezed the trigger, he hit the gas on the first car that had a new driver already and the car became a blaze of fire and smoke.  
He stood up upset "The next bullet goes to you Jarhead"

Jeremy gave him a look but Klaus was breathing on his neck, literally.  
"5"

This was probably a terrible time to tell Klaus that the transfer was frozen.  
"4" Klaus said slowly.

"Can I shoot him Lt?" Damon asked impatiently.  
"3" Klaus said in his thick accent.

Jeremy was never a man to pray but he sure was now, he prayed to that God his mother went every Sunday to praise at Church and breathed again when the bar finally became full.  
"2" Klaus said almost singing and Damon grabbed two grenades.

Before Klaus said that dreaded 1, Jeremy yanked the wires that held his laptop to the rudimentary computer in here.  
He handed Klaus the pen drive with the precious information.

Klaus smiled "1"  
Stefan pulled over in their Humvee and Matt and Katherine got in fast, Jeremy's legs were wobbly as he followed Klaus.

Damon smiled by the door and pressed the striker lever of the two grenades; he released the safety-pin and threw them both inside the layer.  
There was a huge noise as everything exploded destroying all they didn't need behind them.

They didn't bother with the men still alive, they weren't part of their mission.

* * *

"Everything went all right?" Elijah asked as usual.  
Klaus handed him the pen drive "Yes, the kid did all right"

Elijah smiled with the small item that held the location to other two enemy points.  
"This little thing will prevent a lot of deaths"

"Another good day at the office" Klaus said and headed for the door.  
"You did well brother" Elijah said warmly.

Klaus smirked "I already know you want me to go check those locations in a few hours, so spare me the compliments to sweet my mouth"

"No need to hurry… I know that it's Caroline's birthday today so take the rest of the night for yourself. I heard there's a little party the chopper pilots are throwing, maybe The Wolves could use a little break"

Klaus smile was big "Haven't you heard? Us wolves don't ever rest"  
Elijah watched his younger brother leave with pride, it was hard keeping it tamed when it came to Klaus, he was brave, ruthless when needed and respected by everyone.

Every soldier wanted to be in his team and the ones in his team would kill to stay in it.  
All in all, he found that he did a fair job raising him.

Klaus rushed to the tent where Stefan and Katherine were _casually_ outside keeping an eye on nosy unwanted company.

A man stepped out of the tent and Stefan handed him a small package, the man's little nasty vice, naked girls wrestling in the mud, each one with its taste.

The important was that the little bribe would grant Klaus what he wanted.  
"I'm going for a smoke… I'll be gone for ten minutes" the tall skinny man said and left clutching the precious package.

That was all Klaus needed and he made his way inside, Katherine and Stefan closed ranks in front of the door.

Klaus stepped inside the communications tent knowing exactly where to go, he went for the computer that was safe and with a webcam.

Being part of the Wolves meant not having any contact with the outside world whatsoever when they were on tour; they dealt daily with secrets that were as dangerous as they were valuable.

He entered his safe password and took a deep breath; he knew he was shaking when the connection took that extra bit.

At first he couldn't see anything and then the image started clearing and her sweet voice filled his heart.  
"We are going to see dada…" she played with the baby girl in her arms.

The baby made these cute amazing small noises and Klaus remained silent, he knew Caroline wasn't paying attention to the screen, she had probably been waiting for so long for this that she might even have lost hope to see him today.

He could just sit there for hours and watch them both, just watch them and try to figure out where along his life, he got so damn lucky.

Scarlett looked at the screen and made a big baby noise; she padded it like babies do when they like something.

Caroline giggled happily and took the baby's hand into her mouth kissing it with all her love, Klaus felt his chest ache wishing he was there with them.

Finally Caroline noticed the man watching them and the sound that came out of her mouth ached more than a bullet.

"Nik…" she said with a deep sigh showing how much she missed him.  
"Hello love…" Klaus said with a smile.

"How are you?" she asked concerned.  
Klaus knew he was showing her a sad side and he wouldn't have any of that, he smiled happier this time "I'm better now that I can see my two girls and that I get to have 5 minutes alone with the birthday girl"

Caroline gave him that amazing smile of hers "Best present ever"  
"Happy birthday sweetheart" he said sweetly.

Scarlett made a few demanding noises which made Klaus and Caroline laugh, someone was asking for attention.

Caroline pulled her closer so that Klaus could see his baby girl better, Klaus licked his lips slowly, the pain was sweet and slow.  
He missed holding his baby, he barely had time to be with her before he was forced to leave.

"Look Scarlett, it's dada…" Caroline said pointing at the screen.  
Scarlett looked around with her huge blue eyes, she chewed on her chubby fingers covering them in baby drool and Klaus found it the most amazing and beautiful thing in the world.

"Hello Scarlett... Lord you got so big..." he said with wonder.  
"And heavy" Caroline said frowning.

Klaus laughed and she joined him.  
He looked at the baby again, the pink flower in the head band around the perfect soft curls she was beginning to show, the equally adorable pink dress and those eyes that reminded him of Caroline.

His eyes drifted to Caroline that was smiling, watching him completely fascinated with his daughter.  
"We miss you…" she said softly.

"Not as much as I miss you love" he said fighting through the pain.  
"Everyone is k… and they all send you a million kisses and ordered me to tell you that they miss you"

"Even Kol?"  
Caroline laughed "He plays hard but he misses you as well"

"Has Bonnie come to her senses and finally left him?"  
"Please Nik… those two need constant ice to stay away from each other…"

Klaus smiled "I suppose they are doomed to end like us"  
"With a little Scarlett?" she asked kissing the baby's head.

"She's so beautiful Caroline…"  
His wife smiled smugly "She takes after her mother"

Klaus didn't refute her words, he couldn't.  
Caroline sighed loudly, she could see the little timer on the bottom saying they had very little time left.

He nodded at her "I'll be home soon"  
Caroline's eyes started glistening with tears she would definitely cry after the connection was lost.

"I love you so much Nik…" she said with her voice hoarse already.  
Klaus placed his hand on the screen, Caroline did the same trying to push through reality and touch him.

They locked eyes, speaking all that their tears caught in their throats didn't allow them.  
"I love you both and I miss you" Klaus said and she could sense how he was holding tears as well.

Scarlett waved her arms and made a loud noise, demanding again.  
Caroline smiled and nodded at Klaus, they were used to this by now, rough goodbyes.

He nodded encouraging her but himself on the way.  
"Be safe" she mouthed unable to speak the words.

"Always sweetheart… I have my two girls waiting for me" he said with a shaky voice.  
Caroline bit her lip preventing the tears and then the connection was gone.

Klaus felt that single tear dance in his eye, letting them go every single time was the hardest torture he had to endure.**  
**

* * *

**Soundtrack:**

No air – _Jordin Sparks ft. Chris Brown_


	3. The Wolves

Stefan gave a sneak look at Katherine that was in the back seat trying to upload the last data that Jeremy undecoded, she was working fast on her laptop but smiled when she noticed Stefan looking at her.

Stefan quickly looked at the man next to him not wanting to give in his indiscretions but Klaus smile told him what he already knew, nothing went by the man.

"So how's baby Scarlett?" Stefan asked trying to shift attention.  
Klaus smile was big "Beautiful like her mother"

Stefan smirked "Has Scarlett called your name yet?"  
Klaus licked his lips slowly, there was a shadow of sadness covering him "I will miss that… along with her first steps and all that"

Stefan frowned and lost his smile, he knew Klaus too well by now and he knew that this wasn't a conversation to have now, he would wait until they were alone.

Katherine closed the laptop and handed Klaus a small memory card with blueprints "The kid is good at this Lt."

Klaus kept it in his pocket and looked outside into the dark night as Stefan drove them back to the base.  
"It's too early to tell"

Katherine smiled "OOH RAH Lt… you can't just become part of the Wolves like that, he needs to work hard for it"  
"I suppose you did set that bar high for everyone Pierce"

She smugly smiled and stroked her gun "If he endures a week of torture like I did without breaking, I'll personally welcome him to the team"

"Are you planning on torturing the poor kid?" Stefan asked looking at the Humvee next to him, where Jeremy was with Matt and Damon.  
"If my Lt wishes, I know a few tricks"

Klaus laughed "I will keep that mind Sergeant"  
Katherine smiled happy, there was nothing like feeling she belonged and this team was everything she could ever hope for.

She was a trained navy seal, expert in personal combat which meant she could hold her own in any situation.

She looked at Stefan, he was the closest to a doctor they had on the field, he started off as a doctor but quickly realized he was better at shooting people not saving them.

Damon, his brother was the John Wayne of the team, the crazy impulsive sniper that was as good with a rifle as he was hitting on women.

Matt Donovan was a sweetheart straight out of the army but an expert in arms and so committed to this unit that he would die to protect Klaus.

Well truth be told they all would.

Klaus was that kind of leader that everyone would follow without blinking and he always knew what to do in every situation.  
He always found a way out of everything and kept them all alive even when all odds were against them.

They arrived to campsite tired with very little sleep and a lot of hours out on dangerous missions, there was a party going on, the choppers were always the ones to rely on getting a party going.

Damon took his gear off and sighed "I could use a drink"  
Matt joined his sigh "I could use a smoke"

"You know what I really miss?" Damon asked with a dreamy look on his face.  
Katherine made a disgusted face "Please keep it to yourself"

Damon chuckled "Well I miss that too but I was going to say a double cheeseburger with extra pickles"  
Matt laughed "With or without the company?"

"I'm too tired for anything" Damon said slumping his shoulders.  
"Perhaps you all need a little break" Klaus quietly said with a smile.

They all looked at Klaus surprised.  
"We don't want Damon to have trouble performing, he has a reputation after all to maintain" Klaus taunted him.

Katherine and Stefan laughed and Matt rested his hand over Damon's shoulder solemnly "Are you ok brother? Anything you need to talk about?"  
"Well right now you are starting to look awfully pretty Donovan" Damon said serious.

"I'm sleeping outside tonight" Matt said retrieving his hand.  
Everyone laughed and Jeremy watched the tight group wondering if he would ever be part of them one day.

"Donovan… it's the eyes. They are so blue…" Damon teased his buddy that walked away shaking his head.  
Stefan looked at Klaus "Are you coming with us?"

"I just need to debrief Elijah and then I'll join you"  
Stefan nodded and joined the others in their barracks where they left their gear and weapons.

Jeremy was close behind them as they made way to the casual gathering with campfires and loud music.

He stayed behind on purpose watching the group, Katherine had her long curly hair down and he noticed how beautiful she was.

Damon and Matt had a different careless swag to them and Stefan looked like the quite leader.  
If he didn't know better, he would say he was a Mikaelson.

The group caught attention as they arrived, other soldiers bowed their heads to them and a few even parted way for them.

Jeremy realized they were on a different standard, they were like royalty around here, everyone looked at them, some with admiration, others with envy in their faces but everyone acknowledged their arrival.

Matt was the popular one, he shook hands and gave away warm pads on the back but he never drifted apart from the rest.  
Jeremy took it all in like a sponge, he stayed quiet and in his own world.

Once among the other soldiers they drifted apart and Jeremy as the new guy didn't really know where to go.

Someone handed him a beer and Jeremy looked at the guy in front of him smiling "You look lost"  
Jeremy smiled "I am… a bit"

"Tyler Lockwood. Chopper"  
"Ermmm…" Jeremy took the beer "Jeremy Gilbert… attempting to be a Wolf"

Tyler was serious "Humm… interesting"  
Jeremy recognized the judging tone in him "Something wrong?"

"Your taste… you could do better than the A-Team"  
"Excuse me?" Jeremy frowned.

"Bunch of wannabe heroes if you ask me" Tyler said annoyed and drinking his beer.  
"No one asked you" Katherine said next to Jeremy.

Tyler gave her look "Go braid your hair"  
Katherine smiled and took Jeremy's beer, she poured the beverage on Tyler's boots "Go polish your LPC's"

Tyler took a step closer to her mad but stopped because Matt and Damon showed up out of nowhere.  
"Do I need to pull my K-Bar?" Matt asked with a smile, he stroked the knife in his belt "I just sharpen it"

Tyler scolded his words "Like I'm afraid of the A-Team"  
Damon rubbed his hands happy "I'm in the mood to beat the pulp out of a flight attended"

Jeremy shook his head "He just offered me a drink Damon…" he said trying to ease the mood.  
But everyone looked at him upset and he knew he just made a mistake.

"We don't drink... loverboy" Matt said mad.  
"Is there a problem?" An officer asked coming near them.

"No Brass. We were just leaving the party" Stefan said quietly and the man nodded at him, happy that they weren't breaking any noses tonight.

Damon rolled his eyes mad that his brother just cut the fun part but he looked at Jeremy "Strike one Jarhead"

Jeremy squint but Matt and Katherine gave him the same look and bumped into him as they left.  
He looked at Stefan confused.

Tyler spat on the ground annoyed and then left.  
Stefan looked at Jeremy and he knew he had to follow him as he left.

The rest of them were talking between them and Jeremy felt left out, this was proving harder than he first anticipated it.  
Stefan stopped him by holding his arm, Jeremy looked at him surprised.

His superior pulled his white tight shirt up on the shoulder revealing a tattoo, a wolf.  
"See this? We all have one" Stefan said pulling his sleeve down.

"Do I need to make one to be accepted?" Jeremy asked without enthusiasm.  
"We are a team Jeremy, a pack and we stick to each other, we don't go against each other in public, whatever differences we have, we solve it in private, between us"

"A pack of wolves" Jeremy understood now.

"A lot of people don't like us because we get the job done, we don't care how we get there as long as we all make it home safe and in one piece. And we have a lot more freedom than most soldiers and our methods are sometimes… inventive" Stefan smiled "But when someone is in trouble they call us. We are the first and last defense and we are proud of it. But that means giving up on a lot of things"

"I came here determined" Jeremy said.  
"We don't drink because we are always ready to go out and we are constantly in danger, if we get caught no one is coming for the rescue and the pay is a joke. The Lt. could be a General by now but they don't want anyone else to lead this team so they don't promote him"

"I want to be part of this pack" Jeremy said with resolution.  
"Then start thinking and acting like a wolf" Stefan said and went inside the tent.

He found Klaus sitting at his bed drawing.  
"Back so soon?" Klaus asked with a smile knowing already that they got into trouble.

Stefan sat on his bed and opened his diary "That Lockwood moron is a pain in the ass"  
Klaus laughed softly finishing the last touches to his picture, he was happy with the result, he remembered every detail about her.

The pink rose in her hair, the soft curls, the baby pink dress and the chubby little fingers.  
He even got the big blue eyes and the button nose right, he applied some pressure down the cheeks area and smiled wider as he finished giving some volume to the perfect little baby mouth.

He rested the drawing in his leg showing it to Stefan.  
Stefan stopped his daily routine and closed his diary reaching out for the drawing "Wow Nik… she looks absolutely gorgeous"

"I know, she's my daughter" Klaus said proudly.  
"She's going to be a heartbreaker" Stefan handed him back the drawing.

"I know… will you help me scare away all the boys?" Klaus asked worried.  
Stefan nodded serious "I'll play the crazy uncle that waves a gun around"

"I like the sound of that" Klaus said smiling.  
Stefan chuckled "If it's up to us both, Scarlett will never have a boy near her"

Klaus laughed happy and touched the fresh drawing of his daughter, she was perfect.

* * *

**The day I fell in love with Caroline**

Klaus stepped out of the cab and looked at the big mansion, it somehow looked bigger every time he came back home.

He tugged the strap of his leather bag and walked to the front door, he knocked waiting for someone to open it for him.

Rebekah huffed opening the door expecting some salesman but finding her favorite brother.  
"NIK" She squealed and launched herself in his arms.

Klaus caught her laughing as she tighten her arms around his neck.  
"You are back" she whispered happy.

"About to die because you are depriving me of air" he said holding her close to him as well.  
She smiled but didn't ease her hold on him, she was so happy that he was back and safe.

Finally she pulled away "I've missed you, you were away for so long this time"  
Klaus cupped her chin playfully "Well I'm back to make your life miserable"

She punched his chest "Did you bring your friends with you?"  
Klaus rolled his eyes and came inside the house "Damon went home with his brother"

Rebekah sighed and closed the door behind her "I wish they just moved in to our town"  
Klaus shook his head and went to his room "I'm thankful you didn't say into your bed"

Rebekah laughed and followed him happily, she jumped sitting on his bed watching as he settled in.  
"I'll try to restrain my inner thoughts, oh prude one"

Klaus laughed and dropped his bag, he sighed looking around the room that always gave him that safety vibe.

"How's everything around here?" he asked going straight to his cell.  
"Well… Kol has a new girlfriend… I know, huge shock" she dramatically pressed her chest with her hand "And Sage thought she was pregnant, it was such a commotion, we all got really excited but then it was all a false alarm" she said a bit sad.

Klaus smiled turning his cell on and grabbing his keys "And you?"  
"Me? How can I get pregnant when my brothers don't let any boy come around my chastity belt?"

Klaus laughed and came to her, he kissed her forehead "Silly"  
She smiled closing her eyes, how she loved Klaus and having him back home "Will you be staying home longer this time Nik?"

"I hope so because I have a girl to court" he said easily.  
"A girl?" Rebekah frowned.

"Yes. Caroline…" he said the name allowing it to roll on his tongue with a huge smile.  
Rebekah tilted her head watching his enthusiasm "When did you have time to meet a girl?"

"She just hit me out of nowhere" he smirked.  
Rebekah frowned but didn't follow him when he left the room, she wasn't too happy about sharing her brother with someone else.

Klaus reached the garage where his Ninja was, it was under a black cover but he knew it was shining underneath it.

Kol was irresponsible but he always took care of Klaus bike when he was away, the noise of the garage opening revealed his younger brother arriving home.

Kol smiled inside his shiny black Gumpert Apollo, Klaus shook his head when Kol opened the door that went up on the vertical.

"A new car Kol? Really?"  
Kol laughed "My brother wrecked my last car"

"Dramatic and untrue"  
Kol shrugged "Give it a rest, I was bored"

Klaus sighed wondering if his rebel brother would ever settle down in life but for now he was thankful that he got the chance to hug him again.

Kol was serious when Klaus pulled his hand and laced his arm around him, he did the same "It's good to have you back Nik"

"It's good to be back and thanks for taking care of my baby"  
"My small ritual to make sure you get back safe to us" Kol said smiling.

Klaus ran his hand through the shiny bike, how he had missed it, he got on the seat feeling comfortable at once.

The second he turned that key and his baby became alive, he smiled hugely, how soothing was that sweet sound.

The engine was powerful under his hands and the entire bike trembled demanding him, Klaus easily gave in and took his bike out for a fast ride.

He loved how it raced through the busy roads, how effortlessly he maneuvered through the traffic and how he demanded all that his Ninja could give as he made his way through the bridge.

There was nothing like the wind in his face tickling his stubble, the freedom of it all was what he missed when he was away.  
Along with his siblings and now that intriguing girl that he longed to see again.

When he arrived downtown, he slowed his pace making way to street near the park.  
He pulled over stopping in that same place as before.

Klaus took his sunglasses off and looked up to the apartments, wondering which one belonged to the blonde beauty that somehow stole his thoughts.  
"Nik?" the soft voice sounded surprised.

Klaus smiled at the girl holding a paper bag with grocery and a huge smile.  
"Oh that's him? You weren't lying…" a girl said mesmerized next to Caroline.

Caroline blushed and handed the girl her bag "I'll be right up" she dismissed the girl.  
Her friend gave her an annoyed look "Take your time…"

Klaus could swear she mouthed the word _Hot _before turning around and leaving.  
"When did you get back?" Caroline asked placing a golden lock behind her ear.

"Just now" he said with a smile and came down from his bike.  
"And you came here?" she sounded distrustful.

"I've learned to cherish every second" he easily said.  
She returned with a warm smile "I half expected you to forget all about me while you were away"

"You are a hard girl to forget Caroline" he easily said.  
Caroline gave him a sweet smile and he loved that.

"Do you have time for a coffee?" she asked him in that sweet way.  
"I was hoping for a dinner" he said disappointed.

"I have to meet my publisher tonight so I can't have dinner but I still have time for a coffee"  
Klaus didn't need a second invite and they made way to the coffee shop they had been that first time.

"So how was your tour?" she asked him carefully.  
"It went well, better than expected actually"

She smiled and looked at him, Klaus caught her big blue eyes and those long lashes that were sinful.  
"You mentioned a publisher… are you becoming famous now?"

She laughed "I already have a book published and it's not that good but my publisher insists that I do the sequel so…"  
"You know that I won't rest until I find the name of it now…"

She rolled her eyes "Good luck finding anything from Caroline Forbes"  
He smiled happy that he had a full name now to go with the beautiful woman next to him.

They sat inside the same coffee shop and asked for coffee, they easily talked about themselves and Klaus felt more and more attracted to her.  
Caroline told him about her father and how she lost him still at a young age.

She was strong and full of life and had the most amazing smile he ever saw.  
"How about you?" she asked him twirling a streak of hair in her finger.

"My father was a lifer and took the family with him around the world, where ever he was sent we would follow. I eventually broke away from him and his stern ways in London where I stayed so I could go to College"

Caroline clasped her lips.  
"Arts" he answered her obvious question.

Caroline shook her head smiling "You are a walking contradiction Nik"  
"So I have been told occasionally" he finished his coffee "Then I decided to follow my older brother Elijah and enlisted. This is where I strive and do what I'm expected"

She looked down from his eyes still holding that huge beautiful smile of hers "Have you ever regretted the choice you made?" she looked up again.  
Klaus was surprised with her question "No… it's what I'm good at"

She seemed happy with his answer "I have no doubt about it, I think you are one of those that whatever you decide to do in life you naturally succeed"  
"I might… blush" he said serious.

Caroline laughed and he watched how she seemed to glow, there was a light he couldn't explain surrounding her.  
She looked at the time and bit her lip "I have to go…"

He noticed how sad she looked about it and it warmed his heart, he nodded and stood up, holding the door for her as they left the place.  
She smiled looking down on her boots and they slowly made their way back to her house and his bike.

"Are you going to ask me to have dinner with you tomorrow or not?" She asked without looking at him.  
Klaus smiled "I don't know… you seem pretty famous to me, I don't know if I can handle the paparazzi and all the magazines"

She looked at him confused.

Klaus tried to sound serious as he started reading what was on display on his Iphone screen "_And in that moment Filiz knew that she had no choice but to give in to lust and desire. All that lived inside of her_"

Caroline gasped and tried to reach out for his cell, recognizing the words featured in her published novel.

Klaus stopped her with his hand and kept reading "_In that one moment Filiz knew her happiness was as real as the love she always felt for him_"

"Oh my God, stop" she urged him and fought to take hold of his cell but he was strong and he gave her a stern look.

"Caroline Forbes, you are a romantic and your novel is a best seller, you have been lying to me sweetheart"  
"I didn't lie..." she gave him a sweet innocent smile "I was… modest"

Klaus glanced to his screen again "One reviewer says that the shower scene is very hot" he squint.  
Caroline broke down and laughed, she laughed loudly "I'm not comfortable talking about this with you silly"

"I feel the urge to go buy your book now"  
She rolled her eyes and turned around "Whatever Nik"

He chuckled and grabbed her hand, he pulled her to him and she gasped finding herself so close to him.

"Will you Caroline Forbes give me the honor of having dinner with me tomorrow?"  
She locked her eyes with his and smiled "You sound straight out of a book"

"I figured you would fancy that" he smiled back scanning her beautiful face.  
"You don't waste any time do you Nik?" she asked softly and his body reacted to it.

She sounded sweet, inviting and he loved having her in his arms.  
"I got used to seizing every second as my last" he whispered.

Her perfect full lips turned into a big powerful smirk "I'm not about to make your life easy Nik"

And in that second that she pulled away from him, he knew.

"Pick me up tomorrow at 9 for dinner but don't expect a kiss at the end of the night. I will not fall for the entire_ I don't have much time and I might get deployed again and you should kiss me because it might be my last kiss and night _speech so don't waste your breath" she said walking away.

Klaus knew, he knew that he wanted that woman and that she was meant to be in his arms.  
They felt cold already as she walked away glancing back only once with a flawless smile.

He just found love.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

A Thousand Miles - _Vanessa Carlton _


	4. Unpredictable

**The day Caroline met my family**

Caroline stepped out the car and looked at the huge manor "I should have suspected when you picked me up in a car"

Klaus laughed and held his hand out to her "Every time I'm back from a tour, my family gives a big dinner"

Caroline looked at him pulling her perfect eyebrows together "This is our first date and you bring me to your house to meet your family?"

"Technically…" Klaus smiled and closed the door to the car "… our first date was at the coffee shop"  
Caroline smiled but he could tell she wasn't too at ease, he reached for her hand and smiled showing his dimples.

"Don't worry, they are going to love you"  
Caroline chuckled "Everything is so easy to you…"

He nodded and made way up the stairs taking her with him "Life is too short love and I know what I want"  
She shook her head, her long hair moving perfectly with it "I've never met anyone like you Nik…"

He flashed an even bigger smile and opened the front door for her, Caroline stopped a little taking in the huge mansion that he knew was a bit too much to absorb at first.

"I suspected it but… you are like a millionaire, aren't you? With the cars and the bike and the expensive clothes and the gigantic house and the ancient name…" she eyed him with an angry expression that made him laugh.

"How did you phrase it sweetheart? I was just being modest"  
Caroline opened her mouth and punched him in the chest.

"Now that's the perfect girl for you" a female voice came near them.  
Klaus rolled his eyes "Of course you would love someone who punches me"

The beautiful woman with the red hair smiled and looked at Caroline "He needs someone to keep him in line"  
Caroline blushed and smiled awkwardly, she touched her hair and looked at Klaus for a moment, she faced the woman again.

"I'm Sage"  
Caroline seemed to breathe uneasy "Caroline…"

"Is my car safe?" a man joined them and laced his arm around Sage.  
"Yes, I can drive a car unlike what everyone in this family states" Klaus said annoyed.

The man gave him a look not really convinced about it, he then looked at the blonde silently watching them "I'm Finn, his older brother and married to the stunning woman here"  
Caroline smiled "You are the police officer, right?"

Finn nodded amused that Klaus had been so quick to share his family story with her.  
"And what did he say about me?" A smiling beautiful blonde quickly came down the staircase.

"Rebekah?" Caroline ventured.  
The girl was impressed and stopped next to Klaus "She is very pretty"

Caroline felt her cheeks burn again but was a bit confused when a young man joined them.  
He smiled at her expecting her to say his name since she seemed to know about everyone else.

"I don't know who that is" she whispered at Klaus embarrassed.  
Klaus laughed "He's not important"

The man pouted, he actually pouted while everyone else laughed.

"Let's move to the balcony while dinner isn't served" Sage gave Klaus a judging look and took Caroline away, gently lacing her hands around the blonde's shoulders.  
Caroline looked back at Klaus smiling and this time she looked a bit more at ease.

Kol's hard punch in his arm pulled him away from the gazing at the stunning woman.  
"You didn't tell her about me? The first girl you bring home to meet the family and you didn't tell her you had a dashing and irresistible brother?"

"I did tell her about Elijah" Klaus said serious.  
Kol punched him again and Klaus got upset, he wasn't enjoying the free punch Klaus day.

"Judging you" Kol said upset and left.  
Klaus sighed and looked at Rebekah that twirled her long braid smiling.

"What?" Klaus was cautious.  
"So that's the girl who got you all excited"

Klaus licked his lips "I fancy her"  
Rebekah laughed and sent her braid behind her back "Nik… you fancied Hetal and Romi, Sam… Julia… it's a small list but still I only heard of them. Caroline is the first one I get to physically meet so don't go around saying you fancy this one"

Klaus hated that his sister knew him so well, he looked around in that cute way of his, clenching his teeth when he was embarrassed.

"I sort of really like her… there's something about her that's intriguing and fascinating to me"  
Rebekah was serious.

"Well I better go see to Caroline, she probably can't breathe with everyone hovering over her"  
Rebekah smiled at him but he left reluctantly feeling like she was a bit hesitant about his new girl.

The amazing laughter that came from the balcony set his heart racing, how he loved a good laughter and Caroline appeared to glow, shine when she laughed.  
"I came for the rescue but you don't seem to need it" Klaus said surprised.

"I was just being informed that there are a lot of embarrassing baby pictures"  
"I see… five minutes in the house and already you are chasing her away " Klaus gave Sage and Kol a judging look.

"It's only fair that she gets a fair background" Finn joined them with a glass of bourbon in his hand.  
"Stop treating me like I'm one of your suspects' brother" Klaus said starting to think that this wasn't exactly the best idea he ever had.

"Well I would like to know a little more about the suspect before I agree on a second date" Caroline sipped on her glass of wine.  
Klaus gave her a dismayed look "And you are inquiring the family?"

"It was your idea to bring me along for dinner with them" she said innocently.  
"Uh I like her" Rebekah said happy behind Klaus.

"Is that dinner coming or not?" Klaus asked Sage.  
His sister-in-law laughed "Patience is not one of your virtues Nik"

"Or driving a car" Kol said resting against the balcony with a smirk.  
"And he's not very keen on showing his emotions… the L word is very hard to dig out of him" Rebekah was quick to jump in.

"Unless he's painting, there he becomes all emotional and… artist" Kol pushed the conversation and Klaus buttons.  
Klaus clasped his lips upset.

"So the suspect has a thing for the animals and the arts, he isn't very patient and he doesn't like people that much. He is sort of a loner then" she looked at him amused.  
"Very observant, you should consider a life in the force" Finn smirked.

Caroline laughed "I'm happy being a writer. By the way, I'm working on something right now, a novel about a man who has been on the run for years and the lead character is a female detective that has been seeing him oblivious to his true identity. I really could use some help with the technical stuff"

"Will you mention me in your book, a small stellar appearance perhaps?" Finn asked with a smile.  
"I could work something along those lines" she returned with a sweet smile.

Finn moved his hand towards the big living room "I'd be delighted to help"  
Caroline looked back at Klaus smiling at ease now and followed Finn into a very intense research for her book.

"Your husband is going to steal away my girl" Klaus told Sage upset.  
Sage laughed "I forgot to add to the list jealousy"

Klaus drily laughed "You are all on a mission"  
"Don't worry those pretty little dimple of yours, she likes you" Sage said smiling and laced her arm around his.

They left Kol and Rebekah shoving each other and trying to hit each other like the two big kids that they were.  
"How do you know that?" Klaus asked her watching Caroline and Finn in a heated talk about profiling.

"I'm a woman, we know these things" she whispered.  
Klaus looked at her "And this baby that Rebekah told me about?"

Sage smiled sad now "We've been trying for so long…"  
"I'm sure soon I will have that kid to teach how to ride a bike" Klaus comforted her.

She gave him a big smile "Careful what you wish for Niklaus"  
He chuckled in response.

"I'm going to check on dinner" she said letting his arm go.  
Klaus looked at Caroline and caught her looking at him, he loved the way they shared a long look but soon she focused on Finn again and his big words and Klaus decided to go get a drink.

On the way to the bar his cell went off and checked on it, just the person he needed to talk to.  
"I will never listen to you again" he said upset and closed himself inside the library.

_"Nonsense… I'm the voice of reason"  
_Klaus shook his head "You are the voice of doom. They are all hogging her, I haven't been alone with her for five seconds since we arrived"

_"That's a good thing, it will keep her distracted from your unique personality"  
_There was a long silence, Klaus wasn't answering that one.  
_  
"It was a joke Nik…" _Stefan said.  
"This was a mistake… I should have taken her to have dinner alone, to somewhere expensive and classy, just the two of us"

_"Your family means everything to you, she will love that, trust me"  
_"Remind me again how many girlfriends you had?" Klaus asked frowning.

Stefan laughed dryly from the other side of the line and ended the call.  
Klaus stared at his cell, this was the last time he was listening to Stefan and his romantic advice.

There was a soft knock on the door and Klaus expected someone announcing dinner to be ready but not the blonde smiling at him.  
"Hi… you disappeared"

Klaus waved his cell "I'm sorry, my moronic friend Stefan called"  
Caroline smiled and came inside the room "It's not very wise to leave me alone with your brother Kol around, he wanted to show me something called the Gumpert or something, I was afraid to ask what it was..." she pulled a scared face.

Klaus laughed "It's his new car... just ignore him. He likes to spend the family's money in cars and women but he's afraid of me so he won't try anything with you"

She touched her hair smiling and looked around, her eyes were taking everything in "This is by far the biggest house I have ever been in…"

"It's just a house… believe me, most of the days I would have traded all the pleasantries money brings for the love of a father I never had"

Caroline stopped looking at the books and faced him with sweet understanding eyes "It's not easy having a father that lives for his country, that loves his platoon more than his family"

"My father raised us all like soldiers, he never showed an ounce of love or kindness to any of us. Of course that having a son that liked painting and drawing was a huge offense to him and at some point I wasn't manly enough in his eyes so he decided to teach me some manners, I think you can imagine the rest…"

Caroline gulped down loudly and pulled her long cardigan closer to her "That's why you stayed in London…"  
"Broke me apart at the time having to leave Rebekah and Kol with him but I just couldn't take it anymore…"

She smiled at him, not patronizing or in pity but warming his heart with her honesty, much like his own, he had never been this open about his past with anyone.

He couldn't quite explain why she was easily making him unravel his life to her just by smiling at him or listening to every word with such open heart.

"For what I saw they all forgave you and love you. Everyone has very strong personalities but you can sense how tight you all are as a family. It's quite fascinating to see the dynamic between all of you"

"I'm closer to my other brother Elijah to be honest… he is sort of a father to me, I always related to him more than the others. I wish you could have met him"  
"Is he away on a tour?" she asked him quietly.

"Yes, he won't be back before the end of the year"  
"I suppose I will have to wait until then to meet him…" she said slowly facing him.

At first Klaus thought he was listening to things that weren't there "Is that your way of saying that you will go out with me again?"  
She kept her eyes on him "It's my way of saying that if you tried to kiss me right now, I wouldn't say no"

Klaus smiled showing his dimples "You are very unpredictable Caroline"  
"The good or bad kind?" she asked serious.

Klaus sighed "The unpredictable kind"  
She laughed with will, her hair moving along with her shaking body "I can see that being a problem for someone so used to be in control of everything"

Klaus looked at her surprised, she smiled at him, smoldering her way into a big calmer smile.  
Klaus squint "It's not a problem, it's a challenge"

Caroline bit her lip probably keeping the answer he deserved to herself but she was in control not him.

* * *

Katherine was punching that bag like her life depended on it, she used her right hook and her left one and then she went back to her right one.

"Someone should tell the bag not to mess with you when you are upset" Stefan said from his corner, he was sitting on the bed rested against the wall writing on his journal.

Katherine smiled and kicked the bag as high as her leg would go "Maybe you should write it down on your diary"  
Stefan continued the detailed report of his thoughts in his perfect handwriting "What do you suggest I write?"

Katherine punched the bag really hard and caught it as it came towards her, she looked at Stefan.  
"Dear diary, I wish I was as strong as Kat, she can beat the hell out of me and assemble her gun at the same time and that scars me"

Stefan's lips turned into a smile and he closed his journal "I will need proof of that"  
"Are you up for the challenge Salvatore?" she moved away from the bag.

Stefan started pacing around her, sizing her "I can take you Katherine"  
She smiled innocently and placed her hands behind her back "I will let you have the first swing"

Stefan laughed and raised his hands in the air, turning them into fists "Like the gentleman that I am… the first punch is yours"

Katherine smiled hugely and swiftly kicked the bag, he had to doge it and that was all she needed to show up behind him and lace her arm around his neck.

Stefan smiled and grabbed her arm, he was fast and strong and she was propelled over his shoulder, landing on the floor.  
She smiled with his smooth ways and crouched "Nice moves baby Salvatore"

He didn't have time to answer her because she moved like a cat and was up already fighting him like an equal, the first blows were easy to dodge but he tasted blood inside his mouth when she hit him right across the face.

He was upset because she was smirking about it and quickly grabbed her hand when she came at him again, he turned her and his arm was around her throat this time, her body pressed against his.  
"Not bad Kat…" he whispered in her ear.

Katherine was breathing hard, her back was pressed against his really toned and firm body, she could feel his chest and for a moment she forgot what they were doing in the first place.

"But I got you now" he whispered and his voice wasn't as determined as they both expected.  
Her slim perfect body was warming his and her natural scent was making him falter.

"Stefan?" she asked slowly.  
Stefan couldn't help himself, his other arm was around her waist and he ran his hand over her stomach slowly.

"Yes?" he asked a bit too close to her ear, a bit too close to her satin face.  
He closed his eyes because her amazing dark curls tickled his cheek.

"You will have to work harder than that to have me" she seductively told him and he felt a pressure below his waist.  
He slowly looked down and saw the small knife she was holding against some sacred parts of him.

"I see…" he said letting her go slowly.  
She was wicked and easily used her trained techniques to make him fall backwards, she straddled him and pushed the knife to his neck.

"Why do I have the feeling that you aren't fighting me as well as you are able to?"  
Stefan smiled "Maybe because all I want right now is to roll over, pin you to this floor and kiss you"

Katherine was serious, she wasn't expecting his words and her firm grasp around the small knife vacillated.  
He was serious as well, he was attracted to her and it wasn't a big secret between them, still this was the first time he ever acted on it.

They heard noise and she shook her head getting back into her Wolf mood.  
"You lost Stefan" she said a bit louder now.

Damon rolled his eyes walking inside the barracks "I give you the pride of the family"  
Stefan and Katherine laughed pretending to be really into the fight and broke away.

"Has the Lt. returned?" Katherine said getting up quickly and away from Stefan.  
"No… they are still out" Damon said lying on his rack oblivious to everything.

* * *

Jeremy fondled with his pockets, he was leaning against the Humvee watching Klaus lying on top of a small cliff, he had been there for over an hour now.

Watching through the binoculars and then without them, he didn't really move, he just lay there staring at something.

Jeremy was starting to become worried about the sanity of the man and looked at Matt, the blonde soldier was wrapping something in wire.

Jeremy was more interested in this than watching Klaus, for all he knew he could be staring at birds or something.

"What are you doing?" Jeremy asked Matt taking one of the little black boxes that Matt was wrapping up.  
"Don't even breathe" Matt said serious.

Jeremy stopped his motions "Why?"  
"Because that is a sensitive…" he took back the box "…bomb"

Jeremy gulped down "Is it a good idea to be playing around with those?"  
"I know what I'm doing… you on the other hand Jarhead…"

Jeremy sighed "And the Lt? What's he doing there?"  
Matt looked at the man lost in thought and smiled "Why don't you go ask him?"

"Between the crazy man that makes bombs like McGyver and the one that looks able to kill with his look? I take you… for now, at least until I get sent home"  
Matt laughed "Already ready to give up?"

Jeremy pressed his lips into a straight line "I'm not very welcome here and it's been 20 days already"  
"When I first joined the Wolves, I thought I would never belong or make it into the team. Don't lose hope Jarhead, the Lt. hates quitters besides what's 20 lousy days? The rest of the team has been stuck in here for over five months now"

He tapped Jeremy's arm and went to Klaus, he crawled stopping by his side.  
"Anything we can use Lt?"

Klaus smiled "They have five men at the gates. They change shifts every hour which means they are keeping something big in there"  
Matt looked at the site down the hill, heavily guarded and surrounded by high barbwire.

"Located in the middle of the desert and so heavily guarded… what do you think Lt? Prisoners?"  
Klaus showed him the picture in front of him, the decoded satellite location that Jeremy unraveled for them.

"No heat" he said looking at Matt.  
Matt scanned the picture showing no red marks "No human heat inside… then what are they keeping in there?"

"Oh I think it's something more down your lane Donovan"  
Matt looked at Klaus "Weapons? Did we just found…"

"Their arsenal, yes" Klaus left and went to the car.  
Matt rushed after him "Sir… you have that crazy look…"

Klaus smiled and got inside the Humvee.  
Matt got on the driver's side fast "Oh no…"

Jeremy was clueless in the back "What happened?"  
"The Lieutenant has that crazy look in his eyes and he just added the smile… whenever you smile like this Lt…" Matt was worried.

So was Jeremy "I don't understand what's going on"  
Klaus took his shades from the pocket and placed them smiling "I just found us a way to end this mission so we can all go home"

* * *

"You have lost your mind" Elijah said sitting on the edge of the table, he signaled the other soldier in the tent to leave them alone.

Klaus sighed knowing his brother was against his plan "It's a crazy plan but I know my team can do it"  
Elijah shook his head "It's too risky… I can't let you do this"

"I was sent here to disable as many cells as I could. So far we have been busy swabbing the small pools, I'm going for the big one now"  
"We don't have enough intel about this place"

"I'll give a full report when I'm back from destroying it to the ground" he said determined.  
"Now it's not the time to start thinking with your heart Lieutenant Mikaelson" Elijah was stern, he rarely used his pattern and superiority with Klaus which meant this was serious.

Klaus clenched his jaw angry "If that was the case Lieutenant Colonel then I would remind you that since my daughter was born I held her for exactly two hours before I was forced to leave her. That is 178 days away from my baby girl but I'm not allowing that to cloud my judgment or the fact that I miss my wife so much that I dream about her every night. I could let all this blind me but I dare you to find someone better at this job than me, _Sir_"

"Niklaus…" Elijah tried to make amends with his brother at once.  
But Klaus wasn't having any of that "I will have a full detailed planned mission on your desk in one hour" he saluted his older brother but left though without waiting for his permission.

He was upset when he came inside their quarters; he wasn't surprised to find his team already working on the plan, by now Matt would have filled them all in.  
Stefan handed Klaus all they had gathered so far.

"Destroy a bunker full of weapons and take down a small army on the way… you sure know how to make things interesting" he mumbled.  
Klaus laughed "As my best friend I expected you to know already that I hate being average and dull"

Stefan stretched the maps over the table, holding them down with the bullet casings they had around.  
"How are you planning to do this?"

Klaus smiled "The easiest way, right through the front door"  
Stefan looked at the others that came near the table and then at Klaus, hoping he had heard wrong.

Klaus dark smile told him otherwise.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

Drops of Jupiter - _Train_


	5. Bad feeling

Scarlett was lying on her back and squealing, making happy baby noises while her mother playfully chewed on her feet.

"Mommy is going to eat you, yes, she is…" Caroline said and nibbled some more on the tiny foot "Because you are so adorable and mommy loves you and urgh" she said and leaned over kissing the baby's chubby cheek.

She stroked the soft blonde hair smiling and kissed her again, lingering a little, taking in the sweet baby scent of her beloved daughter.  
There was a knock on her bedroom door.

"Hey Care, are you awake?" Kol asked her quietly.  
"Yeah come on in" she answered with a smile.

Kol came to the bed and lay next to her, he sighed over dramatically and stared at the ceiling "I had a fight with Bonnie"

Caroline was sitting on the bed and laughed, baby Scarlett was lying between her legs and pulled on her mother's fingers now.

"I know, she called me" Caroline said and tipped her head looking at Kol.  
He looked at her in disbelief "I just left her at home 15 minutes ago"

"She's my best friend, you were still pulling away from her driveway and she was already calling me"  
"To rant about me, I'm sure" he huffed annoyed.

"She's not very happy that the girl at the restaurant knew you" Caroline said while Scarlett happily nibbled on her finger.  
"Bonnie got all upset because the girl was nice to us"

Caroline picked Scarlett up so she was standing "Your waitress asked if you still had the same number and if she could call you. In front of Bonnie"

Kol smiled weakly at Caroline's raised eyebrow "I can't help that I dated a lot of women in town and I have a hard time remembering where they all work now"

Scarlett looked around the room with her big blue eyes and waved her arms, making her typical baby sounds and Kol moved so he rested in his elbow looking at her.

"Bonnie is upset but you know how she is, she's just jealous and mad but she'll forgive you in no time"  
Kol sighed again "Women…"

Caroline shook her head "Like you were any better last week when you met Luka at the game"  
"She dated a baseball player" he said upset.

Caroline laughed holding Scarlett that rubbed her eyes sleepily.  
"Uncle Kol has a hurt ego" she said mockingly.

Kol laughed drily and came near the baby "Don't listen to her darling"  
The baby caught the long sleeve of his shirt and pulled at it, Kol easily took her into his arms.

He lay back down on the bed and rested the baby over his chest, Scarlett started chewing on his sleeve, leaving drool on it.

"Don't listen to her, uncle Kol is amazing, so amazing that you will surprise everyone by saying my name first" he spoke sweetly and stroked her blonde curls.

Scarlett made a few noises but they weren't loud, she was ready to sleep.  
Caroline watched them both in silence, she missed Klaus, every day was worse than the other but Kol was the one helping her endure it all.

She became closer to him than the others and he became a true brother to her and that one constant male presence in Scarlett's life.  
The baby was close to him as well and Caroline was grateful to have Kol around.

"She's just about to sleep" She said stroking the baby's hair.  
Kol raised his head and kissed the baby's forehead gently then moved the baby to the bed.

Caroline stroked the baby's tummy; Scarlett was really quiet now having moved to chew on her own fingers.

"Well I'm going to call Bonnie, she had time to settle down… I hope" he said and got up from the bed "Ummm…" he stopped and looked at Caroline "Don't tell Nik that we shared a bed, he has all that training and he can break every bone in my body easily" he said a bit scared.

Caroline laughed "Go call your girl and stop being so silly"  
Kol smirked "Good night darlings"

Caroline turned the light off once he was gone and pulled her daughter closer to her.  
The baby looked at her with sleepy eyes, Caroline made sure she was close and safe and stroked her soft hair slowly "So… where did we stop our little story?"

The baby made a few sounds and smiled.  
"I think we were about to start on the first time dada kissed mommy" Caroline said in a low voice.

Scarlett reacted to the name, she waved her chubby little arms a little more and smiled.  
Caroline chuckled "Yes… dada… he will be home soon and smooch you so much and spend all day just looking at you" she said as sure as the sun that would rise the next day.

Scarlett seemed happy with the arrangement and grabbed a streak of Caroline's hair happily drooling on it.

"So… after meeting the crazy family that loves you so much, dada took mommy out on a date that involved riding the dreadful Ninja" she said with a worried expression "Now that wasn't easy… mommy wasn't a fan of the big black bike in the beginning"

Scarlett looked at her mother without making a sound, just like she was understand everything and keeping it all in memory, she would smile occasionally and chew on the blonde lock, eventually she fell asleep before Caroline ended her tale but still she whispered the rest to her daughter.

It brought her a soothing feeling, speaking of the husband and father that should be warming the other side of the bed.

* * *

**Our first kiss **

"I'm scared of getting on that thing…" Caroline said nervous.  
Klaus smiled and reached his hand out to her "Trust me Caroline"

She raised her eyebrow "So easy to say, so easy to not believe you Nik…"  
"You are safe with me" he simply said but everything in him oozed security and trust.

She was shaking when she took his hand "Leap of faith here Nik…" she whispered and got on the bike.  
"I'll cherish it" he replied sweetly.

She laced her hands hesitantly around him and he imagined she had her eyes closed as he slowly started his Ninja and took them away.

"Are you all right?" he asked as he slowly got them out to the busy traffic downtown.  
Caroline groaned with her head buried in his back "Sure"

Klaus laughed, he understood how awkward it could be for someone who wasn't used to be on a bike the first ride so he didn't take them that far away.

There was a beach nearby and he slowly took them there, as the minutes went by, Caroline relaxed and he felt her tight hold around him loosen up, she was actually quite good at this, she would move when he did and her weight became weightless as he easily maneuvered between the cars.

When they crossed the bridge it was as if she had been doing this forever.  
Her hands weren't locked together as they reached the beach, they were holding tight to him but resting on his chest.

For a minute Klaus suspected that she was just plainly feeling him and his chest.  
He pulled over the boardwalk and expected her to get out of the bike fast but instead she took her time removing her hands from where he wanted them to stay, warming his chest.

Caroline moved and her warmth wasn't against his body anymore and Klaus didn't like it.  
He got out of the bike and smiled at her, Caroline was looking at him with a strange expression.

"You are really good at that… I was so scared that you would be all reckless and yet… I felt really safe"  
Klaus put his keys away inside his leather jacket "I have been doing this for a very long time sweetheart"

She smiled, just that way he loved, so sweet and powerful at the same time.  
"Why the bike?" she asked him intrigued.

Klaus looked at the beach, they started walking down the boardwalk, there weren't many people around, the afternoon was ending, sunset was about to set in and they quietly came closer to the ocean.

"My father didn't grant us much freedom, he kept us all under close surveillance and I felt trapped, like he was dictating the amount of air I was allowed to breathe at some point... I've always confided in Elijah so he knew how I felt. When I turned 16 he gave me a bike for my birthday"

Caroline nodded, getting the meaning behind it all "Freedom"

Klaus was nostalgic, remembering his favorite brother "I never felt such freedom as I did that first day racing down a dirt road with Elijah shaking, all worried I would just fall and open my skull because of his gift"  
Caroline laughed loudly, her body shook and he joined her laughter.

"I bet he wanted the bike back"  
"He did but it was too late, I was set for life. The love for stronger, faster ones grew and it became my escape. After intense and long fights with my father I would just… disappear into my own world. Racing down a road at hight was the best feeling in the world and he couldn't reach me there with his words and his constant reminder of how disappointed he was in me"

"It sounds like he was such an awful man..." she said with sadness.  
"He pushed everyone away and no one cried when he died. Finn took care of Kol and Rebekah, raising them with Sage and obviously granting them everything they wanted"

"Kol seems very... free" she seemed in lack of a better word.  
"He's every parents nightmare" Klaus helped her.

Again she laughed and they shared a long look.

"That's why you love painting and drawing as well. So you can create your own world" she said serious now, connecting to him in ways that he wasn't truly expecting.

They reached the pier and he rested against the edge looking at her "You are a very perceptive woman Caroline"

She looked at the ocean in front of them "Are you that surprised?"  
"I'm not… I just don't know how long I can restrain from kissing you"

She smiled "I thought that was the plan…" she slowly moved her head so she could look at him "With the beach, the pier, the ocean… the sunset"  
Klaus smiled mortified that he was that transparent.

"I suppose I can spare you the speech then"  
"Speech?" she asked slowly taking the bait.

But he wasn't playing her, she was just different.  
Even though he loved the chace, he was scared of the outcome between them.

"We have been talking about me all this time sweetheart. I know nothing of you... there has to be dreams and hopes that live in you and that I would love to know"

She gave him a big smile "I'm an only child, my parents are divorced so I lost the magic view I had on marriage and long-term loves. I'm a writer aspiring to be famous putting down on paper all the things I know won't ever happen to me and I'm so boring that watching paint dry must be a thrill compared with spending time with me"

He chuckled "Can we agree on speaking only the truth love?"  
She laughed "It's how I see myself. Deal with it Nik"

He laughed loudly and easily.  
It was amazing to be able to laugh like this.

She touched her beautiful golden locks "There was a speech?" she asked inching closer to him.

"It was a semi rehearsed speech of how beautiful and intelligent I find you. How I'm intrigued by your mind and how certain I am that I never met anyone quite like you Caroline. I've confided things to you that I barely told my brother Elijah or my best friend Stefan and I can't find an explanation for any of it but somewhere along the way I forgot what was rehearsed"

Caroline's smile was shy now "Yes… you right, you can spare me the romantic speeches Nik…" she looked down from his powerful stare.

There wasn't much space between them and he easily made it smaller by moving towards her.  
Caroline met his blue eyes silently when there was no more space between them, Klaus took her cheek with his big hand and graced her chin slowly with his thumb, her skin was smooth, soft and her lips were inviting.

He licked his lips, Caroline touched his chest, he wasn't sure if she was going to push him away but her hand travelled to his neck and he had his answer.  
Klaus leaned over barely touching her lips, only slightly touching them.

They were soft like he imagined and warm and they tasted like more.  
Her lips moved against his, answering their first kiss and it was perfect.

Caroline's fingers stroked his neck, warmed his skin and her wonderful hair covered his hand on her face.

It was a sweet slow first kiss and they both smiled breaking away from each other when it ended.

Night started covering them and Caroline grabbed his leather jacket, pulled him slowly to her, making that space between them disappear again and moved both her hands up his chest all the way to his neck.

Klaus wrapped one arm around her waist and stroked her cheek searching for her lips again.  
Caroline touched his necklace and then lost her fingers in his hair as he made their second kiss a lot more passionate and long.

* * *

Klaus closed his eyes touching the ring he kept in his necklace along with the tags.

Jeremy watched him wondering what thoughts went through the mind of his Lieutenant before going out on a dangerous mission.

He looked at the others going about their little routines before leaving.  
Matt knelt by his bed praying to an image of some saint he had next to the mattress.

Damon seemed lost in his own silence, watching Stefan that wrote on his journal.  
When Stefan was done, he wrapped the little black leather band around it and kept it under his pillow.

Damon went to his brother "Don't do anything stupid out there"  
Stefan smiled buttoning his Camies "Don't read my diary. If I don't return, burn it but don't read it, you don't want to know how I really feel about you"

Damon smiled without much will "I'm not interested in your detailed sex fantasies"  
Stefan laughed and placed his hand on that space between Damon's neck and his shoulder and gripped it hard "Be careful brother"

Damon was serious and nodded "You more baby brother"  
Both siblings looked at each other sharing concern and love for one another, they silently promised to get back home safe.

Damon as always was the first to break away and make a joke to lighten up the mood "I bet we are back in two hours"

Everyone made a sound that Jeremy didn't really get, Katherine threw her hands in the air upset and Klaus smiled leaving the barracks.  
"Well, we are all doomed now" he said teasing Damon.

Matt followed the two of them "You just had to say that… we all know how bad you are at this"  
Damon laughed "People of little faith… One day I will actually win a bet"

Jeremy went after them eager to know how things would unfold now, he left Katherine and Stefan behind alone.

Katherine had been packing the gear in the Humvees and was a bit behind, she was just putting her army vest when she saw Stefan make his way to her.

She slowed her movements a bit, he was serious and double checked her vest, making sure she had it right.

She smiled amused with his wrinkled forehead and very serious stance "I know how to strap a vest Stefan" she whispered.

Stefan relaxed and smiled "I'm your 1st Sergeant; it's my duty to make sure"  
She chuckled "I think Donovan's was a bit loose"

He gave her a look that made her laugh, she rested her hands over his "You are worried…"  
Stefan clasped his lips "It's a good plan… he is flawless in all his plans"

"But…" Katherine asked starting to worry now.  
"Getting inside will be easy, what worries me is getting out… I just have a bad feeling about this one Kat"

Her hold on his hands grew stronger "Stef…"  
Stefan leaned over and she stopped breathing with his movement, he was inches away from her face, she could feel his hot sweet breath tickle her lips.

Katherine gulped down uncertain of that line between what she wanted and what she was allowed to have.

Stefan slowly leaned over almost brushing her lips, his breath was racing and she closed her eyes.  
He watched the incredible woman wanting to kiss her but knowing he couldn't.

She felt him pull away and cursed herself for not grabbing him and making him kiss her.  
Katherine still caught his broad back as he left the barracks and had to steady her breath before she joined the others outside.

* * *

The plan was simple; they knew several trucks were going in and out so Klaus and Stefan hid under one.

Matt was in charge of placing the explosives that would connect to the ones Klaus and Stefan had with them.

Once inside Stefan and Klaus went separate ways, placing the little black items everywhere they could, always making sure no one saw them.

Damon and Katherine kept an eye on everyone from that hill where Klaus had forged his plan.  
Jeremy basically watched in silence, urging for an opportunity to prove he deserved to be in this team.  
_  
"All done" _Matt said from his hiding place.  
"Let's just wait for the other wolves" Damon said touching the ear piece and cocking his sniper.

* * *

Two guards stood by the door, a noise made them look at each other.  
One nodded at the other to go check it out; he pushed his gun against his shoulder and went down the hall cautiously.

He turned the corner not seeing anyone and frowned, he was before two closed doors and pushed one open slowly.

The room was dark but empty; he pointed the gun to the other door and used his hand to open it slowly as well.

As soon as he stepped inside someone laced his arm around his neck choking him, the hold was too strong to fight and Klaus dropped him quickly as soon as he went down.

He closed the door keeping the body inside and took his knife, he held the blade towards him and swiftly came around the corner sending it straight at the other guard.

He dragged his body to the other empty room and kept him there, Stefan joined him showing his fingers, he held four fingers in the air letting Klaus know he took down four of them.

He smiled smugly at Klaus that only took two out, Klaus rolled his eyes annoyed and attached one bomb to the door.

They both made their way fast down the hall, Klaus and Stefan held their guns close and barged into the guarded room.  
It was filled with guns and missals, the entire heavy armory that any good enemy needs.

Stefan started spreading the detonators that Matt handed him, having explained it all at least 5 times.  
Klaus kept watch while Stefan linked everything with a wire that he stretched all the way to the door.

He was on one knee linking all the wires when Klaus spoke.  
"Do you need help with the embroidery? Make it quick Riper"

Stefan smiled "I'm just about done"  
Klaus chuckled "Do you say that a lot?"

Stefan stood up annoyed "Oh shut up Alpha"  
Klaus laughed and they both made their way outside.

Once they were in a safe distance, Klaus communicated with Matt "Start the firework Boy scout"  
Matt worked fast on his laptop and activated all bombs, there was a huge explosion that set the rest of the guards towards Stefan and Klaus.

They shot their way through the gates as the rest of the bombs went off, Matt packed his things and went to the Humvee driving fast to Damon and Katherine as initially planned.

There seemed to be more guards coming at Stefan and Klaus as they kept shooting a way out and Stefan felt one falling just behind him, he looked up at the hill.

His brother was watching over him and keeping him alive which made him smile.  
Klaus touched his shoulder, pointing at the truck they were using to get away.

Klaus shot the last two men in front of them while Stefan snapped the neck of one wounded guard that tried to hit him with a knife.

He quickly got behind the wheel and drove straight at the gates, blasting their way out, leaving the location in flames and with tiny explosions still happening.

Stefan looked behind them "That was close…"  
Klaus checked his bleeding arm, probably from a knife, he hadn't even felt anything.

He rested his head against the seat "My last mission in this God forsaken place. Our assignment was to leave them incapacitated, vulnerable enough to be finished by Elijah's men. I'm done Riper" he said with the biggest smile Stefan had seen on his face since they arrived.

His best friend nodded smiling "We can finally go home"  
Klaus closed his eyes clutching his wedding ring, it had been too long and he couldn't wait to kiss and hold Caroline and baby Scarlett again.

They touched fists with a tired laughter, happy they made it out alive.  
"OOH RAH" they said at the same time loudly.

* * *

Katherine was smiling happy as she watched the truck safely making its way to them.  
Damon stood up and grabbed his snipper happy, they turned around to the Humvee where Jeremy was when a loud sound echoed through the desert.

Katherine gasped and came to the edge, Damon was just behind her.  
"Oh my God Damon" Katherine whispered in panic.

The truck must have hit a hidden landmine that blew up.  
They ran back to the Humvee with their hearts in their mouths, Damon raced down that hill praying to every God he always forgot to pray to.

* * *

Stefan moaned trying to open his eyes, he barely managed it and clutched his head, the loud noise inside his ear was deafening, the blast has left him with a shrieking noise.

He turned slowly, he knew he was hurt but he wasn't sure where or how bad, he looked for Klaus.  
He had to be close, they had been thrown out of the truck as a result from the blast, he still couldn't hear except for that continuing loud shriek.

He tried to get up but the pain in his leg told him exactly how bad it was, he had a broken leg and couldn't move.

Two men with covered faces came at him and grabbed his arms dragging him away, he was about to fight them when he saw Klaus.

He was unconscious and already in the hands of two other men, Stefan went along without a fight, he wasn't leaving his Lieutenant alone now.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

Halo - _Beyonce_


	6. Sweet Caroline

**Meeting the friends**

"So you are Damon and you are Stefan and you all met on recruit" she said through the loud noise inside the Pub.

Damon nodded with an eye on a beautiful brunet with spiked hair in another table with her friends.  
Stefan leaned over the table "First day in recruit and this moron decides to pick a fight with Damon, of course that I got in the middle of it all and the three of us ended on the brig on our very first day"

"I was the moron" Klaus arrived to the table with four beers.  
Caroline took hers smiling hugely entertained with the story "Why did you fight with Damon?"

Damon chuckled and moved away from his flirt with the girl taking his beer and facing Caroline "I heard him talk and made fun of his cotton vest…"

"You… had a vest?" she tried not to burst into laughter.  
"I was young and had a major in arts…" he shrugged.

Caroline laughed covering her mouth "I'm sorry but…" she kept on laughing.  
Stefan and Damon did the same while Klaus sighed and had his beer quietly.

"How did you become best friends after that?" she asked excited to know more.  
"We got drunk and threw a few punches around, then it became obvious that we got along really well"  
Stefan said clicking his beer with Klaus.

"If you ask me, they just in love with each other and refuse to make it official" Damon teased from his seat.  
Caroline laughed looking at Klaus that rolled his eyes at Damon.

"Nik told me that you are a writer" Stefan said loudly as another song came from the band playing tonight.  
"Struggling one" she pointed her bottle at Stefan.

"Uh I read your book" Damon quickly.  
Everyone gave him a surprised look.

He opened his hands "I read the sex scene in the shower"  
"Urgh does anyone actually read the book for the character?" she asked in angst.

"Well Detective Filiz Wild is a very attractive character. I see her as the police version of Lara Croft" Klaus said with his arm stretched behind her on the booth.

Caroline dipped her head to the side and gave him a warm smile "You bought the book"  
"Actually Rebekah had it, turns out she was a huge fan and had a hard time when she realized you were at the house and that she didn't know who you really were"

Caroline touched her warm cheeks "You making me blush"  
"You just need another beer" Damon said and stood up to get them a refill.

He stopped by the girls table on the way to the bar though.  
"My brother, the family gigolo" Stefan sighed.

"I see yours and rise with mine. Kol is on his 10th girlfriend since I'm home" Klaus said upset with the ways of his brother.  
"Maybe he just needs the right girl" Caroline said quietly from her seat.

"And the romantic writer has spoken" Stefan said finishing his beer.  
Caroline gave him a dry laughter "I just think that some men are bound to act lost until they find their true love that will help them find their way"

Stefan and Klaus looked at her serious, she threw her hands in the air "I'm a woman and a writer, what did you expect?"

They all laughed and she shared a look with Klaus because she felt his hand on her shoulder, soothing her.  
Stefan played with his empty bottle and smiled, he noticed the romance happening in front of him and stood up.

"I'm going to help Damon with the beers, he completely forgot about us since he parked in that table…" he said but the couple was too busy having mild eye sex.  
"I like your friends…" she said resting against the booth and his arm.

"I think Stefan might try to steal you away from me if I leave you alone with him" Klaus said locking his eyes with hers.  
Caroline smiled "I wouldn't be too worried…"

Klaus moved so that he could face her better, he leaned over and his hand on her shoulder inched her closer to him as well.

Caroline flirted with him, she smiled and smoldered him with her beautiful eyes and trailed the buttons on his long-sleeved shirt leisurely.

"I have no reason to worry then?" he asked her in a low thick voice.  
She moved her fingers to his neck touching at his necklace and spoke seductively at him "You should kiss me just to make sure"

Klaus lips twisted into a perfect smile, he cupped her cheek and came closer to her, there wasn't any space between her and the booth in her back, her hand went to the back of his neck and they kissed.

They kissed forgetting they were in a pub filled with other people drinking and glancing looks at the passion happening in the corner.

Klaus traced her tongue slowly, engaged her into a sweet slow battle, his thumb making little circles in her cheek, his other hand bringing her pressing her to him while Caroline answered his slow demand with the same burning earn.

He felt her soft fingers caressing his neck, his hair and wanted to keep them in this perfect little moment.

Caroline smiled leaving a soft kiss on his lips "No reason at all"  
Klaus traced her chin gently and kissed her bottom full lip, there weren't many doubts on his side either, just that one nagging concern that he would have to leave her when his next mission came along.

Klaus had never been one to get attached to anyone, he had a few girlfriends, he liked them all in different ways and in different stages of his life.

The rebel phase with Hetal, the college phase with Romi, the army phase with Sam and more recently his first attempt of a serious relation with Julia that didn't end well when she started talking about marriage.

Klaus was a wild, free spirit that was hard to tame but there was something about Caroline that kept him locked in her, he couldn't stop thinking about her and hated the moments they were apart.  
As he slowly kissed her now, nothing ever before felt so right.

"Excuse me… may I have your attention please?"  
The voice was familiar and the couple interrupted their kissing spree recognizing Stefan's voice.

Klaus looked back at the stage frowning upon finding Stefan and his brother holding a microphone.  
"I would like to dedicate a song to my best friend and his stunning girlfriend that obviously is too much for him" he pointed at Klaus and Caroline.

"What's he doing?" Caroline whispered blushing.  
"I have no idea" Klaus was terrified.

Damon flashed a huge smirk and gave the signal for the band to start.  
As soon as the first chords came Caroline recognized the song immediately and started laughing.

Klaus closed his eyes embarrassed with the Salvatore's awful singing.

_**Where it began,  
I can't begin to knowin'  
But then I know it's growing strong  
Was in the spring  
And spring became the summer  
Who'd have believed you'd come along.**_

Stefan came closer to the table and reached his hand to Caroline that happily took it, she whispered to Klaus as she left the table "I might start worrying now"

He laughed with her silly ways and her joy that was contagious.

She grabbed the microphone along with Stefan and started singing as well, just like the rest of the Pub that quickly jumped on the popular song.

_**Hands, touchin' hands**_

She dramatically placed her hands in front of Stefan's that followed her lead and danced silly with her.

_**Reachin' out, touchin' me touchin' you**_

The entire Pub erupted caught up by the song and the singers that were having a blast.

_**Sweet Caroline  
Good times never seemed so good  
I've been inclined  
To believe they never would**_

Klaus watched them both with a happiness that was unknown to him and smiled watching them sing and dance around while Damon sang to the girl he was trying to impress.

* * *

Stefan tried to see where they were taking him, he tried to see anything useful as they dragged him across the hall but they shoved a dark hood over his head.

He could still hear the foreign language that the men shared between them and the sting in his leg.  
They dropped him on a cold floor and he heard a heavy door being locked, he wriggled his way out of the hood and the tight ropes around his wrists.

He gripped the fabric around his head with his teeth and pulled at it hard, it gave in and he kept pulling it over his head until it came out, he looked around the cell, he was alone in a place with one mattress and a lot of blood.

Obviously this didn't look good.

Stefan tried to sit but his leg was throbbing, the good news was that probably his leg wasn't broken like he believed at first and that they trapped his wrists in front of him instead of his back.

The pain was sharp but he crawled his way to the wall sitting up, he quickly pulled his tags out and the razor he kept glued to the back of one of them and started cutting his way through the ropes, his fingers bled but he paid no attention to it, he kept an eye on the door.

He pulled at the last piece of rope and tore at his under shirt wrapping it around his leg tightly just above the bleeding wound.  
He checked his leg, touching bones that he wasn't sure how bad they were and with effort stood up.

There were no windows in the cell, only one way out and he was sure that they would come in soon enough for him.  
Stefan made his way to the mattress and kept the razor inside his mouth waiting for his chance.

When that door opened he knew he only had one shot, the armed man came inside surprised that he wasn't where they left him and Stefan laced the shred piece of mattress around his neck, he was strong and Stefan was hurt so this was a fight meant to be lost but Stefan used the blade in his mouth to cut the main artery in his enemy's neck.

The man choked on blood he was losing fast and Stefan took his gun and his clothes, using the scarf to cover his mouth and nose.

He closed the cell and tried to limp as little as he could, the other men were busy and he noticed the big commotion going around outside by the truck.

They were getting ready to leave and it had to be something big when that was more important than torturing him but he still had to find Klaus.

Stefan kept his head down and his eyes on the ground casually looking for places they could be keeping Klaus.

He found both their vests in a corner and pressed his jaw, maybe Klaus had been able to kill his guard as well.

Someone talked to him, in that language he didn't understand and he pressed his finger to the trigger in his riffle.

He kept his head low as the man started shouting at him obviously mad that he wasn't answering, Stefan turned around and the other man pointed the gun at him ready to use it as he spotted the blood on his leg.

As the man shouted mad at him he got ready to kill him but the man gasped and arched his back falling forward on his face.

Stefan frowned watching the knife sticking in his back but recognizing it, he smiled at the other man covering his mouth.  
"I never thought I would be so happy to see your baby blue eyes" he told Matt.

Matt laughed and rushed to retrieve his knife "I followed you here and made my way inside but I lost track of the Alpha" he said dragging the body to hide in the corner under all the boxes there.  
Stefan nodded to the left "I was about to check that aisle"

They both made their way down the narrowed hall, a few men walked by them carrying wooden boxes.  
"Missiles" Matt whispered.

Stefan signaled one of the doors ahead of them and they went inside counting at least five men, this was where they were keeping Klaus, it had to be.

Stefan gulped down finding his friend hanging from the ceiling with his wrists bonded together.  
He was bleeding from his eyebrow but it could be a lot worst.

One of the men circled him, asked him questions that Klaus wasn't answering.  
Matt took the left side while Stefan stayed in the right behind the rest of the men laughing now amused at something.

Matt looked at Stefan nervous when the man closer to Klaus pulled a knife and rested it against his neck, Stefan took a step closer spotting someone with a camera capturing everything.

He lowered his hand to Matt, made a fist and then opened his hand showing all five fingers, he started retrieving each one slowly, making a countdown.

Matt clutched his borrowed gun closer to his chest and kept a close eye on Stefan's hand, when he closed his hand again in a fist Matt started shooting.

He and Stefan took down the first round of men in front of them before they reacted.  
Klaus took the distraction to bury his head hard on the head of the man by his side and then swiftly laced his legs around his neck choking him.

Stefan took down one enemy that meant to shoot him.  
Klaus smiled and dropped the dead man on the ground "Took you long enough Ripper"

"I was just testing your resistance" Stefan said and caught in the air the knife that Matt threw at him, cutting Klaus restrains at once.

"I was just playing along for a tick, I was interested in what they were saying" Klaus said getting rid of his ropes and stealing a gun along with borrowed clothes.

Matt narrowed his eyes worried "You have that crazy look again Alpha"  
Klaus smiled easily "They are nervous because we destroyed their weapons but they have another bunker close by and they wanted to know if I knew about it"

"Well… do you?" Stefan asked him as they got ready to escape.  
"I do now" Klaus said keeping the tape from the camera, he smirked and raised his eyebrows.

"This mission keeps getting better by the second" Stefan huffed.  
Matt took the lead as the three of them tried to get away unspotted.

Klaus pushed his gun to his back and grabbed a box following the others outside.  
Stefan did the same and they reached the outside before the confusion inside became loud, Stefan didn't need to speak the language to know that they were in trouble, someone uncovered their little rampage inside.

"Just keep walking" Klaus mumbled.  
A man looked at them suspicious and asked them something that Klaus answered in perfect dialect and pointing inside.

It bought them time, enough to reach the truck; Klaus went to the passenger side smiling at the man sitting by the wheel.

The man gave him a look and Klaus answered by slamming his face hard against the wheel.  
He pushed him aside and scooped into the driver's seat, Matt and Stefan came in from the other side.

"Do we have a good plan?" Matt asked.  
Klaus chuckled and pressed his foot hard on the gas pedal "The front gate seems rather ingenious"

Matt sighed and pushed the gun into the man's head, just in case he gained consciousness and made trouble.

They reached the gate where only two guards were, Klaus spoke to them, explaining there was trouble with two of the men caught earlier and that he had orders to take the last weapons they had away to safety.

The man tried to look inside the truck but it was crowded and Klaus urged him to let them pass before the American's arrived with the Calvary.

The man started laughing finding it a good joke and ordered the other one to lift the barrier.  
Matt shook his head as the other two men siding him laughed amused.

"I joined the crazy brigade" he mumbled and knocked the prisoner in the head when he showed signs of waking up.

They arrived to camp site as Elijah and the rest of his team gathered a plan to go rescue them.  
Elijah rushed when one of his men announced Klaus was by the gate.

He looked baffled at Klaus behind the wheel smugly smiling "Hello brother"  
"How…" he was fighting for words.

Klaus rose his hand in the air "Sorry for the delay, we ran into a few minor obstacles"  
Elijah shook his head speechless and stepped aside so that Klaus could drive the truck inside.

They stepped out of the cabin and Klaus opened the truck filled with missiles and weapons.  
The shoppers gathered around with the others and Jeremy could sense the mild annoyance, not only  
The Wolves were back unharmed; they managed to bring back a truck full of weapons and a prisoner.

Matt started the A-Team theme song just to spike Tyler and laughed as he passed the chopper clutching his helmet upset.

Damon grabbed Stefan by his shoulders and hugged his brother tight "You dick, I was about to read that silly journal of yours"

Stefan smiled against his brother's shoulder "You wouldn't be able to handle all that brooding and hair tips"  
Damon helped him inside the barracks "I know, I know but try not to get caught again"

Stefan sat on his bed laughing a bit in pain "No promises there brother"  
"Hey Damon we need help clearing the truck" Jeremy said with a smile towards Stefan, he was happy that everyone was back safe.

Damon laced his arm around Jeremy squeezing his neck "See? That's how you do it in the Wolves Jarhead, you get caught but you make it out alive and you bring the sweets to Santa"

Jeremy laughed "If I ever make it to the team I'll keep that in mind"  
"OOH RAH Jarhead" Damon laughed relived that Stefan was back.

Katherine walked by them as she came inside the barracks carrying a medical kit.  
She was serious and dropped the kit on the bed "Let me see your leg Stefan"

Stefan shook his head making the wound unimportant "It's nothing Kat, I'll just patch it up later"  
Katherine pressed her lips mad "Drop the pants Stefan"

He raised his eyes to her amused "I would like a dinner at least before that"  
But she wasn't amused at the joke "Take your pants off now Stefan"

He sighed and slowly stood up, he limped on his leg that was numb from the pain "I know that you are worried but I'm ok Kat"

"1st Sergeant Salvatore, will you please remove your pants so I can clean your wound?" she said sternly.  
Stefan pretended to be serious "Yes Sergeant Pierce"

He blatantly took his pants staying in his boxer-brief style black underwear, fitting close to his toned body and extending to mid-thigh; Katherine tried to not look as flushed as she felt.

It wasn't the first time she saw him in underwear but Lord, it was always a sight.  
She focused and told him to lay down on the bed.

Katherine sat closely to him and started disinfecting the wound, cleaning the blood so she could see the damage better.

"You might need stitches…" she said with wrinkled forehead.  
"I might need a splinter as well for at least a week, an X-ray would be perfect but for now I only suspect a boring mandatory week of bed rest"

She remained silent and was thankful that her long hair was loose, it covered her face and her tears that she didn't want him to see.

"Kat…" he called and moved her perfect curls away from her face, she shook his touch and cleaned her wet face.  
"Hey…" he caught her face with both hands.

She stopped cleaning the dry blood sticking to his leg and the fresh one that was coming out and applied pressure to it.  
"Look at me Katherine" he asked softly and in a low voice.

She slowly faced him "I was scared ok? I was really scared that you were hurt and that we might have lost you this time"  
He smiled at her "I know…"

And then his eyes drifted to her lips and his thumbs brushed them softly, he could feel her thick breathe tickling his fingers and her hands on his body, his leg, warming his cold skin and then he didn't want anything else but to feel her completely and have her all to himself.

To finally give in to what he wanted since the cocky and sexy Seal joined the team.  
He lifted his eyes to meet hers and she read all that desire in them and forgot that he wasn't her superior and that this silly game they played was bound to end badly.

"You need to see the medic for that wound, it looks nasty" she whispered because unlike her body that was sizzling in lust for him, her brain was actually working.

Stefan didn't expect that she pulled away so fast from him and left the barracks in such a hurry, she practically ran outside.

He tried to follow her but now that the warmth was leaving his leg the pain was excruciating and he suspected a fracture.

He rested the back of his head against the wall behind him and banged mad against it.

Katherine clutched her shirt outside the tent, she wanted to reach her heart and teach him some manners, this couldn't happen, she was sabotaging her place in the team and Stefan's.

She had to be strong and push these feelings aside or maybe she should just leave the team before any of them acted on it.

* * *

Caroline removed the little butterfly hair clip from the blonde locks of Scarlett, she was having her late morning nap and Caroline stroked her face gently before leaving the room quietly.

She played with the little clip happily bouncing down the stairs, she found Sage in the kitchen finishing a chocolate cake.

She looked so cute in her apron and fancy dress underneath, Sage was so good at this housewife roll and took care of the house and everyone in the family that it was a shame she couldn't have children.

It had been devastating not only for her and Finn but for the entire family, thankfully Caroline became pregnant shortly after she got married to Klaus and that had sent the entire house on uproar.

"Hey" she said lingering on the threshold, tipping her body to the side with a huge smile.  
"Hey sweety… you look happy" Sage said giving the last touches to the master piece in front of her.

"Yeah… it's a good day and Scarlett is sleeping like a little angel and I had a dream about Nik… he was just there leaning against the Ninja with those dimples of him"

Sage smiled warmly at her and put away the cake, she came near Caroline and kissed her head "He'll be home soon, you'll see"  
Caroline nodded agreeing with her "I have a good feeling"

Sage removed her apron while Caroline ran her finger through the spatula covered in chocolate.  
"Do you want some coffee? I'm going to make a cup for me before I start on lunch"

Caroline nodded and both girls looked at the lobby as Kol came in, he went straight to the library locking himself inside.  
Rebekah came downstairs with sleepy eyes "Morning…"

"Hey sweety, lunch will take another hour" Sage said still suspicious of Kol, he rarely ignored the girls when he got home.

"Lunch? I just woke up" Rebekah mumbled pulling her old cardigan up her shoulder.  
"That's because you were up until very late last night" Caroline teased her.

"Fashion week is two months away… I'm freaking out" she closed her eyes.  
"You have most of the collection finished Bekah" Caroline calmed her sweetly.

"I still need to find the models and plan the theme and organize the show and choose hairstyles…" she buried her head in her hands.

Sage shared amused looks with Caroline, it was always the same with Rebekah, this was her third presence at the New York's Fashion week and still she freaked and stayed up until really late stressing about it, even if she was such a famous and recognized Designer by now.

Kol stepped out of the library and stopped before entering the kitchen where all eyes were curious about his peculiar behavior today.  
He put his cell away and smiled looking at Caroline.

"What?" she asked suspicious as hell.  
He just smiled and parted his hands "Nik is coming home"

"What?" she gasped coming down the stool.  
"Elijah managed to talk to Finn, he was just sent home on undetermined leave"

Caroline covered her face laughing but letting tears fall as well, she rushed to Kol and hugged him happy and overwhelmed.

"He's coming home Kol, he's finally coming home to us" she said between tears mixed with laughter.  
Rebekah was cleaning her tears watching Caroline and laughed at Sage that rushed through the cabinets.

"What are you doing?" she asked her.  
"Screw coffee, we are celebrating with Tequila" she waved the bottle in her hand.

Everyone laughed happy and made a toast.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

Sweet Caroline – _Neil Diamond _

Pyramid - _Charice__ [featuring Iyaz]_


	7. A father and a husband

Stefan took the journal from under his pillow, he looked around making sure he had everything and saluted Elijah that stepped inside the barracks.

Elijah returned the mandatory salute and waited until he was alone with Klaus.  
His brother was putting his beloved picture away inside his leather jacket.

"Not long now brother until you can be with them"  
Klaus sighed and Elijah felt the relief in his words, he took the files Klaus handed him.

"I finished all reports and the detailed transcription of the conversation I heard when I was being held"  
Elijah smiled "All that expensive education we provided you paid off in the end"

Klaus was a bit surprised at his brother "Do I sense nostalgia Elijah?"

The older brother dropped the files on the rack "We wouldn't have been successful in this mission if it wasn't for you Niklaus. Your team was responsible for ending the most feared rebel unit in this territory and by addition another threat to our country"

"We were performing our duty and defending our country… what's with the feelings exposure Elijah? We both know I won't be on leave long, I will be called back soon" Klaus laughed grabbing his bag.

"Your abilities and unique approaches to missions have been the object of attention from higher ranks"  
Klaus frowned "Am I finally getting promoted?"

Elijah smiled but it was a sad smile "You will get a visit very soon and it will be up to you the final decision though I must confess I would miss you around but you have a family now that you haven't been able to enjoy so I think you will find the proposition appealing…"

"Can you try to be a little more cryptic Elijah? I'm having a hard time as it is" Klaus laughed absolutely puzzled by Elijah's words.  
"Just enjoy your time with the family, you have earned it" He said with conviction.

Klaus knew the conversation wasn't moving from this and that he would have his answers soon so he saluted his superior officer.

Elijah rolled his eyes and pulled his younger brother into a tight hug, he placed his hand on the back of Klaus head "I'm proud of you Niklaus"

Klaus was more than lost with Elijah's behavior but hugged his brother back "Try not to get into trouble while I'm gone"  
"Mind you that I am the older soldier here, with all the experience behind it" Elijah laughed finally releasing his brother.

"Older and old… you probably don't even know how to assemble a piece anymore"  
"I can still do it in minus 20 seconds" Elijah said amused.

"You need a girl brother" Klaus teased him moving to the door.  
Elijah laughed loud and touched Klaus shoulder "Send my love to the family"

"I will…" Klaus stopped by the door "Are you sure that you will be alright without me?"  
"Do I have to pull ranks Niklaus?"

Klaus was mockingly serious "Of course not old man"  
Elijah held back a smile that only showed up when Klaus turned his back on him leaving towards the chopper.

* * *

Jeremy couldn't stop smiling in his seat "I still can't believe the Wolves own a jet"  
Damon laughed "It doesn't belong to the team Jarhead, it belongs to Nik's family"

"Are they that loaded?"  
"Yes" Damon said and went for a drink.

Jeremy pulled his eyebrows together watching Stefan and Katherine clearly avoiding each other.  
They had been face to face inside the chopper that took them to the private airport where they then boarded the jet and they hadn't looked at each other the entire time or even shared a single gaze.

"Hey Matt… what's with the no friendly policy inside the team?"  
Matt folded the Sports newspaper and leaned over so he could talk without the others listening to it.

"When we first formed the team, there was another girl before Kat… she was Damon's girlfriend, Rose and he asked the Lt to bring her to the team, she had chopper training and her and Damon really wanted this… on our second mission, she got caught and Damon lost it. The Lt wanted to form a solid plan to rescue her but Damon couldn't stand the idea of all the things they could do to her so he disobeyed a direct order and went rogue. He tried to rescue her alone and got hit. She was already dead when he barged into that house and Stefan pulled him out of a fire just in time. After that the Lt wanted Damon out of the team but Stefan took his side and eventually the Lt backed away. It was easier to find one substitute instead of three"

"Wow…" Jeremy mumbled baffled "I didn't know that"  
Matt laughed "A lot of the things that happen inside the team, stay with the team"

"The Lt established that rule after you lost Rose?"  
Matt looked discreetly behind him at Stefan and Katherine "Actually… it was Stefan's idea… a condition to prevent Damon's deranged behavior…ironic that it would backfire on him later"

Jeremy rested on his seat watching the couple, it was more than obvious that they felt something for each other and that they were fighting hard against it.

* * *

Caroline twiddle her fingers; she got bored again and huffed.  
She twitched in her seat on the expensive couch and decided to grab a magazine.

She went through the pages without really paying any actual attention to it and quickly shoved it to the side.

"You are making me nervous Care…" Kol mumbled from the other couch answering a text from Bonnie.

She stood up trying to look into the arrival gates, a few small jets were pulling over but she didn't have access to the runway and she didn't see him among the people arriving.

Caroline played with her wedding ring, she was on edge "What if he didn't leave? Maybe Elijah sent him on a last mission and he couldn't get the word out… maybe he's still in there" she looked at Kol.

The Mikaelson was busy with Bonnie "I'm sure he's just about to…" he looked at Caroline that smiled and left the little VIP waiting room in a hurry.  
He threw his hands in the air feeling ignored "…arrive"

Caroline made her way through the small crowd.  
"Excuse me… excuse me" she rushed bumping into a few that gave her an annoyed smile.

She started running towards the dirty blonde man who finally saw her, she was laughing in a jittery way as she realized the space shortening between them.

Klaus dropped his bag smiling at the woman running to him and caught her as she flung herself in his arms, lacing her arms tightly around his neck.

He held her closely finally soothed to have her back in his arms; her body was shaking with laughter that he knew would turn into tears.

Klaus held her even closer to him, feeling the body he had missed every night he was forced to spend it away from her.

People would smile as they passed them; it was current to watch couples in love reacting this way in airports when they were back together.

The rest of the team didn't wait for them and Kol leaned against the door waiting and having a cheerful talk with the team.

Finally Caroline pulled away from Klaus and touched his face like someone trying to remember if everything was exactly as she recalled.  
She frowned at the cut on his eyebrow.

"You should see the other mate sweetheart" he said with a smile.  
Caroline laughed and stroked his neck slowly "I missed you…"

Klaus moved his hand away from her back and took her neck pulling her closer to him, kissing her, showing her how much he missed her.  
Kol sighed watching them kiss like they were alone.

"I'm going to rent a car, I'll bring it around so you don't stress the lazy leg" Damon teased Stefan and his wounded leg.

Stefan nodded ignoring the joke and handed him his bag "I'm going to grab a coffee to go"  
Damon wasn't too happy, he suspected his brother's intentions but he wouldn't act on it now.

Katherine was waiting for her ride, Matt and Jeremy had shared a cab to the train station and she was by the bar making time.

"Hi, can I have a black coffee to go?" Stefan asked the pretty girl behind the counter.  
Katherine gave him a side look stroking her own cup of coffee.

Stefan paid and thanked the girl, he looked at the Katherine "We probably won't see each other for a few months Kat… is this how you want to part ways?"

She kept her eyes on the practically empty cup in front of her "Enjoy your leave Stef…" she smiled weakly and stood up grabbing her things.

She gave him a last look holding the bag and her coat folded in her arm "I didn't want things to be like this but I didn't plan to fall for you like I did but I love being part of this team more. I worked really hard, I went through hell to get the Lt's attention on my file and I don't want to give that up"

Stefan faced her serious "You think I want out of this team? He is my best friend, like a brother to me and this is the dream job every military wants. I'm in this for life kat"

She shook her flawless curls and kept her carriage like the tough soldier she was "Nothing has to change because nothing happened" She smiled at him, it took everything in her but she managed it "I look forward to beat you in another man to man fight 1st Sergeant"

Stefan gave her a forced smile as well and nodded "I'll try to work on my technique Sergeant Pierce"

She gave him a small nod with her head and left to wait for her sister outside, she almost made it to the door when she heard him call her name.  
She stopped taking a deep breath and slowly faced him "Yes?"

Stefan took her arm and she slowly followed him without much will to a hidden corner "Stefan… what do you want now?"  
"This isn't us…" he said as they reached the little place hidden from everyone.

She looked down from his powerful stare "If you don't get out of my way I will kick your bad leg"  
He chuckled and cupped her face "Now that sounds more like us"

She looked at him fiercely "You want the flirt and sassy comments but that's not enough for me anymore Stefan"  
He released his hold on her stunning features.

She drily chuckled "That's what I thought" she said moving away from him.

But Stefan grabbed her arm harder this time and pulled her to him, he held her face and kissed her.

Katherine gasped feeling his full lips on hers and dropped her things on the ground, she touched at his neck, his smooth hair and moved her lips against his.

Stefan broke slightly away from her, he traced his lips with his tongue, her taste was faintly living in them now and he smiled.

Katherine felt the cold of the wall in her back as he pushed them back against it finding her lips again, she moaned the second his tongue tasted her bottom lip looking for that permission that she gladly gave.

The second their tongues met, she forgot about the tension between them growing for months now and all the reasons why they hadn't act on it.  
It was a long passionate kiss that both shared until reality came creeping its way loudly.

She pushed him back harshly ending the kiss and searching for air, clarity was lacking in spades but she stopped him when he came at her set on finishing his sinful kiss.

She felt his hard chest with her palms making it all even more confusing "No…" she managed to breathe out and moved fast, picking up her things from the ground.

"Kat please…" he acknowledged that things might have been a bit rushed.  
She shook her head and fixed her curls "One of us needs to leave the team"

She left without meeting his eyes knowing she would falter and kiss him again.  
Stefan pressed his fist to the wall keen on punching it but one bad leg was enough.

* * *

Rebekah hugged Klaus so tight he was afraid she might hurt herself.  
"I'm so happy you are home" she mumbled against him.

Klaus laughed "I can tell… every time I return home you treat me like I'm a giant Panda bear"  
She laughed loudly and released him.

Sage was next in line and hugged him in that maternal way of hers "Thank God you made it home safe Niklaus"  
He smirked because she insisted on calling him by his given name, like a mother would.

Funny how these things happened, she was the only girlfriend Finn ever had, high school sweethearts and when she married him, everyone saw her in that role that was vacant since Esther had lost her life after giving birth to Rebekah.

In a way Sage was the only mother Kol and Rebekah knew but also the others.  
The front door opened and Kol arrived with Bonnie that was has happy as everyone else to see him.

"Hey _Tin man_" she called him with affection.  
It made him laugh like all other times "Hello Bonnie"

She quickly hugged him and padded his back "I swear you get bigger every time you return from a tour.  
Kol gave her an annoyed look "Maybe I should join the army as well"

She rolled her eyes and Klaus whispered amused "I see nothing really changed around here"  
"He's jealous of his own shadow, I have no idea why I'm still with him"

"Because you love me?" he asked appalled.  
She raised her eyebrow pushing him "I tend to forget"

"You cause a scene every time a girl looks at me" he snapped.  
She scorned him "Not even close Kol"

Klaus looked at the others so used to Kol and Bonnie having one of their banter that irrevocably ended with a passionate kiss and a I love you so much on top, everyone smiled amused.

Then he noticed how they all seemed to wait with bated breath as Caroline came down the stairs.  
Klaus gulped down as he saw the smiling woman carrying their little girl in her arms, he seemed hypnotized watching the baby that slept.

Caroline reached her arms out to him so he could take her and he licked his lips nervously, it made Caroline smile because he looked terrified of hurting her fragile body.

She nested the baby's head on his arm and fixed the beautiful pink and white dress, she looked at Klaus whose eyes sparkled in wonder and sheer fascination for the little girl.

Scarlett made a little sniffling noise and slowly stretched her tiny arms, she waved her legs a little and opened her eyes.

Klaus smiled like a blind man watching the sun for the first time "Hello Scarlett… do you remember me?" he whispered.

Scarlett opened her perfect rose lips and her tiny pink tongue came out followed by a smile towards the man holding her.

He moved his hand to her soft face, touching it gently and Scarlett reacted by smiling and waving her tiny hands in little fists.  
Someone was happy to have her father back.

Klaus brought her closer to him closing his eyes and taking her sweet baby scent, he kissed her forehead gently and the baby made a loud noise, he felt her pull his hair which made him laugh.

He looked at her and Scarlett was smiling at the dangling shiny thing in front of her, she eagerly grabbed his army tags happy that she found a new toy.

Klaus was in heaven holding his baby girl and in awe that she was so perfect and beautiful.

"Urg stop making me cry" Sage turned around leaving the room cleaning her tears.  
Rebekah laughed whipping her own tears and followed Sage to the kitchen.

"I want one of those…" Bonnie told Kol sweetly.  
He smiled too happy about it "A boy and a girl"

"In… five years or so…" she quickly redeemed herself.  
"No… we should start on a Kol junior right away" he said serious.

She huffed leaving the room.  
"Bonnie?" he went after her but she was shutting him down already.  
"Drop it _daddy_"

Klaus was oblivious to everything, he was too interested in Scarlett and smiled like a little boy at Caroline feeling her hand on his shoulder.

He looked speechless and she smiled stroking his stubble "I know Nik…"  
Klaus kissed her while Scarlett made happy noises watching them and chewing on the shiny tags.

* * *

Finn popped another bottle of wine while they all laughed and ate happily.  
"So the good son returns" he said serving Klaus and squeezing his shoulder "I long for the day that I have all my brothers around the same table though"

Klaus waved his glass "That will be a happy day"  
"I think the only time that happened was when we got married" Caroline said sitting at the table, she smiled at Klaus "She's sleeping"

He hadn't been too happy when she pulled Scarlett from his arms so she could feed her and put her to sleep.

But he would make up for all the time he had missed with her, for now he wanted to focus on the other stunning woman in his life.  
He took Caroline's hand smiling, she looked down on the table reacting to the touch.

Dinner went on normally and everyone tried to put Klaus up to speed with the news in the family.  
Like always he was mostly entertained when Rebekah tried to defend her right to a boyfriend that none of her siblings was interest in allowing.

"I might as well take a vow as a nun" she grabbed her wine upset.  
Klaus laughed "You are far too pretty to be a nun Rebekah"

She gave him a mocking smile "And you are far too charming to be a soldier"  
"I'm not a soldier at home" he corrected her immediately.

She dismissed his words, though she knew he made that distinction very clear.  
He left the blood and ruthlessness of war back where it belonged; at home he was the brother that nagged her to eat her veggies and the husband that every woman dreamed off.

Rebekah knew he was going to be an astonishing father as well.

"I made strawberry cheesecake, someone's favorite…" Sage said getting up from the table.  
Finn clapped his hands happy, he loved big dinners because Sage always made the real good stuff.

He gave her a lazy look as she reached the table with the dessert.  
She shook her long red hair caught on the side with the pin he gave her for her birthday filled with diamonds.

"Stop looking at me like that…" she whispered at him but Finn only smiled finishing his wine.

Rebekah looked around the table, Sage was obviously sweetening Finn's desires for other kinds of desserts, Bonnie was making little circles on her glass teasing Kol that played with her hair eager to take her up to his room and Caroline and Klaus were on a world of their own.

They were glued together and staring at each other, Klaus was leaving circle patterns on her shoulder and they would sneak kisses from time to time, discretely in their corner of happiness that she envied so much.

She sighed into her glass of wine; she was in need of a boyfriend, urgently.

"We are out of wine…" she said adding the gloom to her situation because the bottle was empty.  
Caroline smiled "I'll go get another one from the cellar"

"I'll go with you" Klaus dropped the napkin on the table and followed her.  
She looked back at him a bit surprised but quickly saw the cunning smirk.

"Nik…" she tried but he grabbed her and pulled her to him.  
"Yes?" he asked kissing her neck.

"Your sister… the wine…" she said forgetting how to connect words into a proper sentence because his stubble was tickling her skin.  
He looked at her and stroked her chin "My sister can go get her own wine, I miss my wife…"

Caroline felt her legs wobbly, his eyes were so blue and bright with love and desire and his heat was covering her body and by God, she missed him.

She pressed herself to him and kissed him, the kiss was just that bit raw and rough, it was as if they didn't even touch the stairs as they went up to their room.

Caroline moaned when his hands swiftly pulled the zipper of her dress down, they reached the room but the wall next to the door was their first stop.

Klaus kissed her neck, pushed her purple dress just a bit up so he could feel the skin on her leg when she entangled it with his.

He made a sound of pleasure when she found her way inside his shirt, touching his chest that felt better than she remembered now that she was allowed to touch him again.

But she wanted a lot more and moved her hand to the door opening it, Klaus broke the kiss and she pulled him inside.

He pressed her against the door closing it and she removed his shirt, she bit her lip watching him.  
Klaus smiled and kissed her while pulling her dress down slowly feeling her faultless body with his hands as he did so.

She pulled him back to a kiss and he picked her up, her legs were instantly around his waist and this time the kiss was slow, long and a wonderful battle for dominance.

Caroline pulled his hair, stroked his neck and they stopped to take in the moment before it all became a rush of lust and raw desire from a couple that missed each other in the same way.

"I love you" he whispered and it was perfect.  
Like everything always was when she was with him.

She rested her forehead against his smiling and stroking his hair "I love you Nik…"  
He smiled and took her to bed.

* * *

Caroline woke up tired, covered but cold.

She pushed her messy hair away from her face and turned to look for him, she stood up a little resting on her elbows searching the room.  
Klaus wasn't in bed or inside the room.

She looked at the baby monitor and there was no movement, Scarlett was sleeping.  
Caroline sneaked out of bed and grabbed her robe, Scarlett's room was across hers and she found it strange that her bedroom door was open.

She was quiet as she approached the door and stopped before going in, Caroline clutched the robe in her chest taking in the image that she would forever keep imprinted in her mind.

Klaus was standing by the window bathed by the full moon and holding Scarlett.  
The baby slept peacefully and blissfully clutching his tags, how could she not?

When her father was Niklaus Mikaelson, the barefoot man, wearing nothing but his low waist Jeans silently making a promise to always love and protect her from anything and anyone.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing - _Aerosmith_


End file.
